Selected Invasive Species in North America
This is a citizen-science enabled collection in the
Encyclopedia of Life
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I think this is 1 animal. Venwu225 suggests that it's a larva feeding (or trying to feed) on a pupa, but the other possibility is that it's a pupa with the empty larval skin still attached, which is supposed to be common. This is 2 different angles -- the left panel shows the larva well, & the right shows the base of the pupa, which is attached to the leaf.
This ladybug seemed like it might be doing some sort of display behavior. It kept spreading its wings several times, then refolding them.
"Polymorphism," huh? We always just called it plain old ... oh, never mind.
Sandy got a good shot of these guys too: www.flickr.com/photos/sandybird/17142281/
For the What Is It group. Yes, it's a ladybug -- but what's it on?
For the Life on the Japanese Knotweed study. There was a distinct dearth of life on these relatively young sprouts, as it happens. Come to think of it, I think that's what I found last year 1 or 2 times when I found a patch & went looking. Is that the general pattern -- one of the problems is that nothing eats it (or otherwise interacts)? Anyway, I did find this pair of ants. If anyone can pin down their ID further, I'm sure it would be greatly appreciated.
For Urtica's Purple Loosestrife pollinator study. It's not gonna win any prizes, but at least the species of pollinator is clearly identifiable.
For the Life on the Purple Loosestrife study. ID help welcome!
Found in my yard. Looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. Thanks to Ontario Wanderer for the ID! Much to my shock, it's the first Gypsy Moth (of any stage) in the Field Guide group. I guess that's a good thing!
For Urtica's Purple Loosestrife bug study. I thought maybe it might be a Common Garden Spider spiderling, since there were some adult females in the area, & the markings & overall shape looked right. But Mizzbee has a better idea: crab spider (family Thomisidae). Kinda looks similar to an immature Misumenops celer, but not enough info to call it at the species level (at least by me).
For the Life on the Japanese Knotweed study. This harvestman has a *huge* legspan (10 cm), because it has an extremely elongated second pair of legs that it was using as feelers. Interesting point: saw this species repeatedly (at least 3x) on Japanese Knotweed, but not elsewhere; saw another harvestman (the kind with the big orange body) on other plants, but not on the knotweed.
Never thought I'd be glad to see Japanese Knotweed, but the other plants abundant on Bull's Island are Stinging Nettle and Poison Ivy -- and I don't care if they are native, they're evil! Although there's Pale Jewelweed too.
For Urtica's Purple Loosestrife bug study -- a nonnative insect pest eating an nonnative, invasive plant! Hmm, maybe we should import Japanese Beetles to control the Purple Loosestrife (not!). This was the only 1 that I saw, in a patch a couple of meters sq.
Godawful invasive -- originally used as an ornamental shrub & a windbreak, but escaped and widespread, in successional clearings. Covered with showy masses of little yellow flowers in spring.
First saw one of these a few days ago, but didn't get a good shot that time. Turns out April is their flight season.
They have a habit of hovering absolutely stock still in midair. Rick saw it & said, "Hey, what's that?" I confidently answered, "Oh, some kind of hymenoptera." But then I got a closer look -- saw the wing pattern & especially that proboscis. It looks like nothing so much as a cartoon bee with a stinger on its nose. Originally mis-ID'ed it as a Bumblebee Clearwing Moth; thanks to all 4 commenters for the correct ID.
Here it is nectaring on Garlic Mustard. It was also visiting Common Winter Cress, which is bright yellow -- wish I'd gotten a shot on that, but didn't manage. This will have to do. :-)
Do we really not have Garlic Mustard in the Field Guide group? Well, this shot can do double duty. It's an erect herb, common, 1-3' tall, growing in stands along roadsides & in open woods. Yes, it's an invasive alien weed, but at least the nectar feeders like it. Let me know if you don't want me cluttering up the Field Guide pool with weeds like these. I'm figuring that the more common it is, the more likely somebody is to actually be looking for it in the Field Guide, but maybe y'all want more of a focus on plants we actually like. :-)
Lady Beetles (Asian?) - I believe they are mating.
Welcome to Invasive Species in North America Collection! This is a list of several commonly found invasive species and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. In this collection you can do the following:
1. Browse some of the invasive species found in North America; and,
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created this project on May 15, 2012
