20 observations

This spider used to guard my porch door from any bugs for a long time until my intoxicated roommate killed her. She was a yellow garden spider that my girlfriend had named velocity, which came to be her new pet. I found out that the zigzag in the middle of her web is called a stabilimentum which the purpose of is debated. Either for camouflage or to warn bigger animals about the presence of a web. Information from https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Yellow-Garden-Spider

Often referred to as a tomato hornworm I found these guys eating up my tomato plants at my house. I had been wondering why my tomato’s weren’t doing good until I found a couple of these guys on them. During my research I found that one of the natural ways to get rid of these guys is through the use of wasps. People have been using the trichogramma wasp and Cotesia congregata wasps as natural pest control. Information from https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Manduca-quinquemaculata

I found this species of fungus while doing my local nature report at lake bloomington. I found it on the edge of the Forrest with many other species of fungus eating decaying material. Doing some research I found that the faint puffball is edible. You want to cut it open to see if it is firm and still white in the middle. If it is brown or has gills disregard it immediately it is not edible. Also through my research I have reaffirmed my identification because the giant puffball fungus does not grow on trees or logs but grows on the ground. It mainly grows during late summer to early fall which is the time period I found it. https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/puffball-mushroom-identification.html

I was literally driving to school this morning. While I was stopped at a red light I looked to my right and saw this guy in someone’s yard. Although he is related to marmots through some research I found that marmots are more common in mountainous terrain. These guys like meadows and open fields to find food and they will eat almost anything. They also make complex burrows that each have their own bathroom chambers. Lastly I learned that they tend to start hibernation around this time of year which makes me think this guy was trying to fatten up before he goes into hibernation. http://www.havahart.com/groundhog-facts
P.S. I didn’t know until I put the location into the observation that I found the woodchuck on Wood St.

I found this on our trip to forest park when we were walking down to the bridge. I found out through some research that Virginia creeper can climb as high as 50 feet by grasping its support with its tendrils. I also found out that it’s leaves are comprised of five leaflets, which will turn a reddish-orange color for autumn. This plant gets confused with poison ivy a lot which makes people think it is poisonous. Some people are allergic to its sap which can give a rash, so don’t eat the berries either. https://www.thespruce.com/taxonomy-of-virginia-creeper-2132897

I found this American poke weed while I was at lake bloomington working on my local nature project. After some research I have found that the American pokeweed can grow to be 4 to 6 feet in height. I also found out that is blooms from summer to early autumn; which is around the time I found it. Their raw berries are poisonous to humans and livestock but they are an important food source for various types of songbirds. Information found from www.softschools.com/facts/plants/american_pokeweed_facts/1390/

I found this poison ivy plant right on the side of my house. Only a little concerning because I was going to retill this part to make another garden. Luckily I remembered leaves of three, let them be. It is poisonous to humans because it produces an oil called Urushiol. Although it is not poisonous to other animals; for example, many different types of birds eat the white berries that appear in late summer. archive-srel.uga.edu/outreach/factsheet/poison_ivy.html

I found this fruit when we were walking around franklin farms on our trip. I found out that the Osage-orange is a small to medium tree. They commonly grow to be 30 to 40 feet tall, they occasionally can grow as tall as 50 to 60 feet. The female trees produce fruit that ripen in September and October and fall to the ground. The fruit is composed of numerous one-seeded druplets. Https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/1997/10-10-1997/hedgeapple.html

I found this mulleins plant in-between my neighbors yard and mine. This is a young mulleins because they develop a robust and hairy stem that can reach 1.6 to 9.8 feet in height. Most species of mullein produces leaves in a rosette form, during their first year of growth. The tall flowering stalk starts to develop the next growing season. Mulleins propagates via seeds that can remain dormant for up to 100 years. It is also used for many health benefits; for example, tea made from mullein leaves can be used in treatment of common cold. www.softschools.com/facts/plants/mullein_facts/1561/

I found these bugs when we were walking through heartlands green space. It feeds on the seeds, leaves, and stems of the milkweed plant. They are usually found in small groups on the milkweed often on the stems, leaves, and seed pods like on the picture. The bugs themselves contain toxic compounds derived from the sap which they suck from the milkweed. They are used as research insects because they are easy to use in laboratory, have a short life cycle and are easy to manipulate. www. missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/insects/plant-bugs/milkweed-bugs.aspx

I found this milkweed plant when we were walking around the heartland green space. Milkweed has a simple robust stem that can reach 1.5 to 6 feet in height. The entire plant is filled with milky sap, hence the name milkweed. The sap contains latex, alkaloids, and cardiac glycosides. Some species of milkweed produce toxic chemicals to protect themselves against hungry herbivores. Fruit of milkweed are brown pods the ripe pods split open to release fluffy seeds that will be dispersed by wind.
www.softschools.com/facts/plants/milkweed_facts/1336/

I found this thistle plant when I was conducting my nature project at Lake Bloomington. The thistle has been Scotland’s national emblem for many centuries and is one of the most well known symbols of Scotland. Thistle can grow up to eight feet high and over four feet in width. Many types of insects and butterflies are attracted to thistle, for example bees and goldfinches who use them for nest building. Native Americans used to chew on the petals like chewing gum.
https://www.clareflorist.co.uk/blog/flower-types/fun-facts-about-the-thistle/

I found this squash bug on the side of my house and they are very common in my area; they ruined my mother-in-law’s pumpkins. In both adult and nymph stages, the squash bug sucks the juices from the plant, making the leaves of the pumpkin, squash or other gourds turn blackish and die. They have an oval flat appearance and are brownish gray to brownish black. Female squash bugs lay their eggs in clusters on the underneath of leaves. There is usually only one generation of squash bugs produced each year.
www.saferbrand.com/advice/insect-library/garden-insects/all-about-squash-bugs