iNat 20 observations

The Black Swallowtail or Papilio polyxenes, can be found throughout most of the U.S. The male and female black swallowtail can be told apart based on the color of the band on the hindwing. According to butterfliesandmoths.org, "Male has yellow band near edge of wings; female has row of yellow spots. Female hindwing with iridescent blue band." One thing I find interesting about the Black Swallowtail, is that while a caterpillar they love to eat herbs like parsley, cilantro, and dill. I found a group of them devouring the cilantro plant on my deck.

Source: https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-polyxenes

The Common Reed or Phragmites australis, can be found along bodies of water. This group of them was found at Birky Pond, near Heartland Community College. The Common Reed beds could be a great foundation species, as a lot of animals like birds, bugs, and small fish, could take shelter within them. The common reed drew my attention is the purple flowers atop the reed.

Source: https://aquaplant.tamu.edu/plant-identification/alphabetical-index/common-reed/

This Goldenrod Soldier Beetle was found on a cutleaf teasel at Birky Pond. The Goldenrod Soldier Beetle is a very common species of soldier beetle in the Midwest, and is native to North America. The adult Goldenrod Soldier Beetle mainly eats pollen and nectar from flowers, which I assume it is doing here in this picture.

Source: https://wimastergardener.org/article/goldenrod-soldier-beetle/

This Asteroid Moth in it's caterpillar form was found at Birky Pond, eating some Asters. When it transforms into its moth form, it takes on an interesting color pattern of almost a bark like look. This is probably a form of camouflage that the moth has evolved to have in order to evade predators. The Asteroid Moth can be found throughout the north east and in parts of the midwest.

Source: https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Cucullia-asteroides

This clump of Cattails was found at Schroeder Nature Preserve. Cattails get their name from their seed head, which reminded people of a cat's tail. This particular cattail is the broad leaf version, so it has leaves that are about an inch wide. One thing I found interesting, is that there is a possible relationship between cattails and muskrats. The National Park Service says on their website that, "There may be a relationship between the abundance of cattails and the size of muskrat populations with populations cycles of each tied to the other. In years when there are many cattails the muskrat populations boom. But as they feed on the cattail rhizomes, the cattails stands begin to open up and ponds of open water appear." Muskrats eat the cattails and use them to build with, so it makes sense that there may be a correlation of population between the two.

Source: https://www.nps.gov/miss/learn/nature/cattails.htm

This Prairie Dock was found at Birky Pond in a section of Prairie. Prairie Dock is also a native Illinois plant. The Prairie Dock has large basal leaves in a spade shape. When the leaves are young, they are smooth and shiny. However, as they get older, they become rough and duller.

Source: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pr_dockx.htm

This Hairy White Oldfield Aster was found at Birky Pond. I also found an Asteroid Moth caterpillar on it. The Hairy white Oldfield Aster is indeed hairy, as it has small white hairs on the stems and branches. The flowers grow on the upper part of the plant, and look a lot like a daisy.

Source: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SYPIP3

The Canada Goose is a very common bird, and can be found throughout the United States and Canada. These geese are herbivores and primarily eat grass, grains, and berries. The Canada Goose is a migratory bird, and flies south for the cold winter, flying up to 1,500 miles in a single day according to National Geographic.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/c/canada-goose/

This Great Mullein was found out at Franklin Demonstration Farm near Lexington IL. The Great Mullein grows throughout Illinois, and is native to Eurasia. This Great Mullein in particular is still very young, as it is still a small rosette of leaves, but it will grow taller in it's second year and then it will flower and replace the flowers with seed capsules.

Source: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/great_mullein.htm

This Bur Oak was found out at Franklin Demonstration Farm near Lexington IL. There were a few Bur Oaks all near each other in a savanna. The Bur Oak can grow to be over 100 feet, and live for a long time. It also grows acorns which contain its seeds, and the acorns function as a food source for local wildlife. The Bur Oak is also a fire-tolerant tree, meaning it can survive fire to a degree, due to its thick bark.

Source: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=quma2

This Shagbark Hickory was found at Franklin Demonstration Farm near Lexington IL. The Shagbark Hickory is easily distinguishable by its distinct bark, and grows to be 60-80 feet tall The Shagbark Hickory is in the Walnut family, and produces a nut that is edible.

Source: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/shbk_hickory.html

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/shagbark-hickory

This Brown Marmorated Stink Bug was found on my back porch. In late Fall and Winter they can be found inside your house, due to them trying to evade the cold weather. The stinkbug grows to about 1/2 inch long, and is distinguishable by its antennae where it has light and dark bands. Once it warms up, they mate and lay eggs throughout the Spring and Summer.

Source: https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/occasional-invaders/stink-bugs/

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/help-pests/brown-marmorated-stink-bug

This Spurthroat Grasshopper was found at my house in my driveway. It is the most common species of grasshopper in North America, and is known for destroying crops. The female lays eggs into the soil, where they remain dormant throughout the winter, to hatch when it warms up.

Source: https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Spur-Throated-Grasshopper

The Laetiporus Sulphereus is often called the "chicken of the woods" because of its taste. This chicken of the woods was found out at Sugar Grove Nature Center. It is a heart rot fungus, so it grows above ground, generally in fallen trees, just like in this image. It is actually a parasite, and attacks the tree, generally not appearing until after its death. It is distinguishable by its yellow-orange color, and how it grows in a shelf like pattern.

Source: https://www.mushroomexpert.com/laetiporus_sulphureus.html

This Goldenrod was found at Birky Pond at Heartland Community College. It is distinguishable by its golden flowers, and can grow to over a meter tall. The Goldenrod typically flowers between July and September, and its flowers are edible.

Source: https://www.ediblewildfood.com/goldenrod.aspx

This common milkweed was found at Birky Pond at Heartland Community College. Milkweed is an important plant as it is the host plant for the Monarch Butterfly. By having the larvae eat on the milkweed, they gain a chemical defense by making their flesh taste bad to most of their predators. The seed pods are covered with soft prickles and hairs, and split to release a lot of seeds that look like white hair. Milkweed uses wind to disperse these seeds once they're released.

Sources: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/cm_milkweed.htm
https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_assy.pdf
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/habitat/index.shtml

The Pandora Sphinx Moth is known for its camouflage pattern, and is also identifiable by the bands on its thorax. It has a dark green, followed by a white band. As an adult, the moth's primary food source is nectar. Personally, I really like the pattern on this moth and found it to be very interesting as I've never seen one before.
Sources: https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Pandorus-Sphinx-Moth
https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Eumorpha-pandorus