The Other Pollinators

              When you hear the word “pollinator,” you usually think of the honey bee.  That’s because the honey bee, Apis mellifera, is an outstanding pollinator.  As industrious and social creatures, honey bees devote much of their time to efficiently collecting large quantities of pollen to feed the hive’s offspring, pollinating many flowers in the process.  However, some less obvious insects sip nectar in the garden, and while less efficient than honey bees or native bees, should be recognized as valuable pollinators.  Although often overlooked, a variety of moths, wasps, and flies pollinate flowers.

 

MOTHS

                Although the majority of moths are active at night, some nectar-drinking moths are diurnal, or daytime feeders.  One particular moth is busy in the garden all summer long.  The hummingbird moth, Hemaris diffinis, mimics a hummingbird in appearance and movement.  Its long proboscis, or tongue, makes it a good pollinator for tubular shaped flowers.  It can be seen nectaring on verbena, bee balm, petunias, and a variety of flowers. 

 

 

                The small yellow-collared scape moth, Cisseps fulvicollis, hardly looks like a moth.  It is another daytime forager found on a variety of flowers throughout summer.  It is active during the day as well as around dusk.

                The colorful ailanthus webworm moth, Atteva aurea, is a member of the bagworm family.  In addition to pollinating flowers, this moth lays its eggs on the invasive ailanthus tree, and the caterpillars eat the leaves.  The tree is also known as the “tree of heaven,” an invasive species from China that is crowding out our native trees in many areas of Virginia.

 

 

WASPS

                Wasps make good pollinators.  In fact, bees are descended from wasps and share many similar characteristics.  The common thread-waisted wasp, Ammophilia procera, drinks nectar as an adult, visiting and pollinating flowers along the way.  It also performs other garden duties, such as insect control, by feeding insects to its young.  It is not aggressive to humans but will sting if provoked.  Only the females can sting, and can sting repeatedly without losing its stinger. 

 

 

              Another pollinating wasp, the blue-winged Scolia dubia, is an asset to have in the garden.  These solitary wasps lay their eggs underground on the larvae of green June beetles and other lawn pests.  Adults, busy sipping nectar throughout the garden and providing for their young, are not a threat to people if left alone.

 

FLIES

 

                Not all flies are houseflies.  Many flies are important pollinators. For example, some foul-smelling flowers depend on flies for pollination.  Other flies are simply mistaken for bees.  Flower flies, Syrphidae, mimic bees, wasps and yellow jackets in appearance, but are actually harmless.  Many are beneficial because their larvae eat aphids and other garden pests. 
  

              Tachinid flies, Tachinidae, covered with hairy spikes, can also be found sipping nectar.  In addition to pollinating flowers, they produce larvae that consume the larvae of other insects.

 

              While bees continue to be perhaps our most valuable pollinators, many secondary pollinators shouldn’t be overlooked.  With so many flowers that require pollination in a limited season of time, it takes a variety of pollinators to get the job done.  As gardeners, it is important for us to recognize the benefits of having a variety of insects in our garden by providing a variety of nectar sources and limiting pesticide use.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween!

 

                                 Trick or Treat!

 

 

Don't Eat Too Much Candy.

           What do you do with leftover pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns after Halloween?  Put them in your yard.  The color is a nice fall accent in your garden.  And soon, you'll notice a squirrel nosing about, looking for a snack. Chipmunks will also find it.  Birds, too, will enjoy the seeds.  In fact, the seeds and pumpkin guts in the picture above completely disappeared within two days, my porch was cleaned up by hungry birds.  I have also witnessed deer eating leftover jack-o-lanterns.  Once I lived in a city where the local zoo accepted leftover pumpkins -- as a treat for elephants.  If it isn't eaten,  a pumpkin will eventually decompose, providing food for insects. It would be such a waste to simply throw away a leftover pumpkin.

Observing Nature's Presence

           Sometimes we get so wrapped up thinking about the past or the future, that we overlook the present.  Mindfullness is the new buzzword for putting away your electronic devices and living in the moment.  Sounds like sage advice for good mental health, so I  took a stroll in my yard to focus on the moment and mindfully observe my present surroundings.  I soon realized I was not alone.

A monarch stopped by for a drink.

It would be hard to miss this colorful orb weaver.



A fence lizzard watched me watch him.

This box turtle spent the afternoon near my back door.



A  caterpillar caught my eye.  Upon closer inspection I saw the white  cocoons attached to his head...wasp parasites.

A steady stream of yellow jackets flew in and out of a hole in the ground.

I caught this fat spider in the act of weaving.

 

Reliable Plants to Transition into Fall

           By the time autumn rolls around many flowers in my garden look awful.  They bloomed beautifully during the summer but by now they look dried up and way past their prime.  Joe-pye weed, ironweed, milkweed, marigolds,lilies, zinnias and many other flowers are now spent.  However, here in the first week of October there are a few gems that continue to look vibrant,  carrying color into the fall season. 

Butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii,  provides nectar for a variety of butterflies,
like this admiral, all summer and into fall.

My dalhias look as nice now as they have all summer.

These mid-sized cannas have bloomed like crazy all summer
and are still full of blooms.

My zinnias have seen better days, but still provide nectar
for migrating monarch butterflies.

Montauk daisies, related to chrysanthemums, are outstanding fall bloomers.

Coleus, always reliable, provides color in containers or in the garden.

Dragon wing begonias bloom non-stop until frost.

Fall asters have started blooming, and insects and pollinators love them.

This mandevilla, a tropical vine, won't survive the frost but continues to bloom
profusely until then.  It is a nectar source for migrating hummingbirds.

This re-blooming iris never bloomed last spring but looks great now.

















 

Mushrooms Aplenty

 

           Many mushrooms are seasonal. With cooling September temperatures and ample rain, more mushrooms appear during this period than any other time of year.  I did not know this when I went for a walk with my camera one day at the end of September, and happened to notice a large number of interesting and colorful mushrooms.  Unlike plants, mushrooms lack chlorophyll and do not reproduce by seeds.  Instead, mushrooms, which are fungi, usually live on dead, organic matter. And unlike plants, they rely on spores rather than seeds for reproduction. Here are some mushrooms I spotted recently after a September rain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruits of Fall

           September is over and  October has arrived, but the leaves haven’t yet turned here in Virginia. Yesterday I took my camera for a walk, looking for signs of the change of seasons. I couldn’t help but notice how much food the trees have to offer wildlife, providing birds and animals ample food supplies before the arrival of cold weather. 

 

Ripening persimmons

Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) Last year this tree produced very little fruit, but it is loaded with persimmons this year.  The unripe fruit is bitter but once it falls from the tree, it is usually ripe and edible, and can be used in jam, beer, wine and pudding.  My mother made persimmon pudding when I was very young.  Deer, raccoons, opossums, bears, skunks, foxes and birds love the fruit.  Because it is very hard and dense, persimmon wood had been used for golf club heads. The fruit has been used to make indelible ink. 

Beautiful beautyberries

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) This beautiful shrub is a native plant.  The berries are eaten by many birds and mammals.  In the spring, the flowers are small and inconspicuous, but come fall, the shrub is dazzling in the landscape.  In the past, farmers plucked a sprig, crushed the leaves, and stuck it under the harness of their plow horse or mule.  Later research revealed that the plant indeed contains insect-repelling chemicals. 

A magnolia seedpod, not yet ripe

Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) These magnolia seed pods are not yet mature.  When ripe, the red, fleshy part of the seed is high in fat, making them a beneficial food source for fall migrating birds.  Magnolias are among the oldest flowering plants on earth and haven’t changed since their prehistoric beginning.  They were present even before insects developed wings to fly.  Then, and still today, magnolia flowers are pollinated by beetles.



Ripe black gum drupes

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) Also called sourgum or tupelo.  You may have heard of tupelo honey because this tree is considered an excellent honey tree.  The black gum, one of my favorite trees, is a member of the dogwood family.  The small fruit is high in fat and calcium, making it an important food source for many birds and animals.  The leaves' fall colors are beautiful.  As soon as the fruit ripens, and while other trees remain green, the black gum leaves turn bright red and burgundy as if to advertise the availability of ripe fruit and to promote seed dispersal. 

Dogwood berries

Dogwood (Cornus florida) Although the dry summer weather left the leaves of many dogwood trees around here looking brown and dried out, the fruit production hasn’t been affected. Although toxic to humans, the seeds are an important food source for a wide variety of birds as well as mammals.  Because the tree’s fallen leaves decompose more rapidly that other trees, it is considered a soil improving tree.  Dogwoods, like persimmons, have been known to produce a good seed crop every other year.  Before plastic, the wood was used to make shuttles for the textile industry.  The hard, closely textured wood is used for pulleys, spools and mallet heads.

 



A black walnut in the leathery husk

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) An abundant crop of walnuts happens only about twice over five years.  The tree must be about 12 years old to produce nuts, which are edible to humans and wildlife.  As they ripen, the husks which surround the walnut turn from green to black.  The black husks have been used to make a natural dye for handicrafts.  Considered a scarce and valuable hardwood, the wood is used to make fine furniture and veneer.  The tree roots produce a chemical called juglone that creates a toxic zone around the tree and kills many juglone-sensitive plants, including tomato, blackberry, apple, potato, laurel, rhododendron, azalea, blueberry and red pine. 

Recently abundant, I only found a half-eaten paw paw below the tree. Note the large seeds which
are dispersed by animals.

Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) Paw Paw is a small understory tree which produces an edible fruit that is gaining popularity in some regions.  It can be eaten raw, or made into custard and ice cream.  But, good luck collecting the fruit, because it is a favorite of opossums, raccoons, foxes and bears.  In the spring, Paw Paw flowers, which have the color and scent of rotted meat, are pollinated by flies.