Turning the Wheel to Welcome Autumn

As the plants near completion of their annual cycle, so too do all the animals whose lives are linked to theirs. This past month in the garden we’ve witnessed a cicada killer seizing a cicada; a tiger swallowtail butterfly escape an attacking bald-faced hornet; a European hornet doing a curious ritual with ants on the picnic table; the annual cobweb-entangled baby ringneck snakes in the basement; and these cool buggers* among many more:

Purple-Crested Slug Moth Caterpillar (Adoneta spimuloides), a generalist we initially mistook
for a young Saddleback (Acharia stimulea), found on a Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) leaf.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Caterpillar on our wee baby milkweeds (Asclepias spp), providing anecdotal evidence supporting the inherited insight that monarch babies prefer tender new growth, and thus harvesting the top of some stalks in a stand while they’re in bud (and eating the buds yourself!) can actually help support this milkweed-dependent species!

Orb Weaver (Arineidae family) wrapping up a honey bee (Apis mellifera).. I’ll try to figure out how to get better macro shots in midair from my phone camera – this is the best I could do!

Goofy Planthopper (maybe family Flatidae?) parading around the picnic table

Clavate Tortoise Beetle (Plagiometriona clavata) Larvae — with incredible defensive adaptation, they wear poop on their backs on “fecal forks,” and I initially thought they WERE caterpillar frass til I looked closer! — on Jimson Weed (Datura stramonium)

Leaf-footed Bug (Piezogaster sp.) sucking on Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua)

There’s so much to see here!

* Please note: many of these insect IDs are largely amateur, tech-assisted best guesses. We’d love to hear from you if you can share more accurate IDs!

2 Responses to Turning the Wheel to Welcome Autumn

Ellin Dize says:

September 1, 2023 at 8:34 pm

I very much enjoyed your Sept update and look fwd to the October article. I’ve been wanted to come out but am concerned about standing too long, walking too far and not hearing a leader.I do not use a walker or cane. I do not hear well if a person turns their back on me. Maybe you can ease my anxiety. Also concerned about rain. I would have to cancel.

Ellin Dize

- Green Farmacy Garden says:
  
  September 6, 2023 at 5:20 pm
  
  Hi Ellin,
  
  Please email our Events and Communications Manager Veri at greenfarmacygarden@gmail.com with your concerns and the event/s you’re interested in and they’ll connect you to the facilitator.
  
  Thanks!