2019 Brandeis Bioliteracy Project's Journal

The cabbage white, or Pieris rapae, is a small off-white species of butterfly that can be found throughout most of the United States.

Males are distinct from females as being yellow-white with lighter brown spots on their wings, while females are more white with darker spots. Male bodies are also similar in color to their wings, while females have darker bodies. Their name comes from their main food source, plants in the cabbage family. Caterpillars will eat their leaves, while adults feed on nectar from their flowers. They can feed on a variety of plants, both wild and cultivated, which allows them to easily adapt to new environments.

Originating in Eurasia, they have successfully spread and created new populations around the world, including places like North Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. First introduced to Quebec around 1860, they quickly spread and multiplied until they covered the entire continental United States and southern Canada. They are often considered serious pests, since they feed on many cultivated crops, like cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. In addition, populations of wild plants that they eat face big risks, as their large populations can pose a serious threat to their numbers. As such, some organizations and institutions have worked to try and reduce their populations and the damage they can cause. A similar invasive species in the white family was eliminated in New Zealand a few years ago, and efforts to control the cabbage white's population are currently underway as well.

The Great Blue Heron or Ardea herodias is a wading bird that is commonly found in the shallow water of coastlines, shores, and wetlands. They are carnivorous birds, eating mainly small fish. Great blue herons are big birds standing at about 3-4.5 feet with a wingspan of about 5.5-6.5 feet. In flight the birds can move pretty fast, cruising at around 20-30 miles per hour. They are partial migrants, moving away from the northern edge of their range, in Northern US/Southern Canada, in the colder months, but they can be found throughout most of North America year round. They make their nests primarily in trees but do sometimes nest on the ground in bushes and mangroves. Males locate and create nesting sites and then attempt to court females from their nests. Colonies of Great blue herons can consist of hundreds of pairs of individuals, however, individuals hunt alone. The great blue heron is relatively easy to identify because of its size and greyish blue feathers. It has a black crown and head plumes and a long orange-yellow bill, making them further distinct from others. If you’re looking for this bird around campus it can often be found in the Massell Pond!

The Spring Crocus (Crocus vernus), otherwise known as the Dutch Crocus or Giant Crocus (see - this is why we use latin names!) is an ornamental flower native to the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Balkans. They were introduced to the US by humans, and can be found in somewhat random areas, including Massachusetts, Oregon, Virginia, Utah, and Ontario, CA. They are generally bright, mostly purple, and can grow between 10-15 cm tall. The Spring Crocus generally flowers for about three weeks at the onset of spring, and go dormant during late spring. While flowering, they close at night and open up in the morning, but often remain closed on cloudy days.

There are many cultivars of Crocus vernus that are used as ornamental plants. Cultivars are varieties of a species which are selectively bred for specific characteristics, often for gardening reasons. Important cultivars of Crocus vernus are the Jeanne D'Arc, Queen of Blues, and the Silver Coral.

Welcome back to campus! We are so looking forward to seeing what you document today. So far during the CNC 34 observers have documented 142 species and made over 600 observations toward the CNC. We can't wait to see how that number jumps. As the semester heads toward a close, don't forget to join the campus biodiversity project which brings together all of our data. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/brandeis-university-biodiversity

The red-winged blackbird, or Agelaius phoeniceus, is a songbird native to North America. They inhabit most of the continental United States, as well as parts of Mexico and Canada in the winter and summer, respectively.

Red-winged blackbirds are sexually dimorphic. The coloration of males is very iconic; they are jet-black with red and gold shoulder patches. The females, meanwhile, are more drab, with feathers of various shades of brown. While some populations in warmer climates are permanent, northern populations tend to be migratory; individuals that live in Massachusetts and New England in the spring and summer will fly south to Mexico and the southern US in the winter.

Red-winged blackbirds have interesting breeding dynamics: while most males are monogamous and only breed with one female, a few (the most dominant and appealing to females) will breed with many females. These dominant males will breed with females who have other partners to increase their chances of having offspring. Females will also seek out other males than their partners to increase copulation and chance of offspring. Both the female and her partner will raise young chicks together. Clutches typically consist of 3 or 4 small blue-gray eggs with dark speckles.
Due to their interesting breeding behavior, red-winged blackbirds are territorial. Males will control areas to ensure things like access to food and hiding places from predators. Males can hold their territory for years, often until ousted by a younger individual.