In all works on Natural History, we constantly find details of the marvelous adaptation of animals to their food, their habits, and the localities in which they are found.
~Alfred Russel Wallace, 1853
It is that time of year again…yep, the museum’s annual BugFest event is tomorrow, Saturday, September 17. Join us for an incredible array of exhibits and experts on all sorts of topics relating to the incredible world of insects and other invertebrates. I will be at the caterpillar tent again (where else?) this year out on Jones Street. Drop by for a visit (and if you have found a large caterpillar like a hickory-horned devil or an imperial moth larva, bring it!!). To celebrate another year, here is a series of photos from the yard, showing the transformation of just one of the stars of the show this year, and one of my favorites, the spicebush swallowtail.
Early instar spicebush swallowtail larva in curled leaf retreat (click photos to enlarge)
Female spicebush swallowtail butterflies lay eggs on the leaves spicebush or sassafras. The larvae spread silk across a leaf, causing the leaf to curl as the silk dries and contracts. This provides a retreat for the developing larvae (they move to a larger retreat as they grow).
Early instar larvae are considered bird poop mimics
The early stages are bird poop mimics (as are the larvae of many swallowtail species). But, they also have another strategy to avoid being eaten…
Their fake eyespots are quite realistic
Large fake eyes make them look like small snakes, something some birds might think twice about trying to consume. They even have small white marks on the eyespots that make them look like moist eyes.
Later stages are green
As they molt, they turn green and the eyespots enlarge. All stages of the larvae also have a forked gland, the osmeterium, that exudes a foul-smelling compound that deters predators.
They change color once more as they prepare to pupate
About a day before they transform in preparation to pupate, the larvae change to an orange color, and start crawling. When they find a suitable site, they form what is called a prepupa, and attach themselves with a silk button at their base, and a silk loop near the head (they create a loop and then slide their head under it, looking somewhat like a telephone line repairman hanging on a pole).
The chrysalis resembles a piece of a twig
The next day, they molt their caterpillar skin one more time to reveal the chrysalis, which resembles a broken twig or piece of dried leaf. The ruse continues. This guy was photographed this morning and will remain in this state until sometime next spring, overwintering as a pupa (as do most of our common species of butterflies and moths).
The end result – a spicebush swallowtail butterfly
One minute poised in midair, apparently motionless before a flower while draining the nectar from its deep cup—though the humming of its wings tells that it is suspended there by no magic—the next instant it has flashed out of sight as if a fairy’s wand had made it suddenly invisible.
~Neltje Blanchan, 1923
Hummingbird on a feeder (click photos to enlarge)
It seems the hummingbirds have been zipping about the yard with added intensity these past couple of weeks. Maybe they are like me and it is the heat that is making them grumpy. Or maybe they know the season is about to change, and that they will soon need to move on, so they had better stock up for the long flight. Whatever the reason, it has been quite a show at the feeders and flowers scattered around the yard. I typically see 4 or 5 of the tiny jet fighters at once, meaning there are probably 4 or 5 times that many around the yard. Our place is so shaded that it is hard to find a good sunny spot to photograph them other than in the morning, when the sun highlights the pathway to one of the feeders on the front porch. The past few days have found me standing out in the yard, watching their comings and goings, and trying to capture a few moments of their hectic lives.
Hummingbird surveying his domain
Hummingbirds tend to perch near their favorite feeders/flowers, guarding them against interlopers that might get some of “their” nectar. One bird likes a particular dead branch hanging out over the front walkway.
Hummingbird in mid-air (note – it is excreting as it hovers)
While things at the feeder can be frenetic, I spent a lot of time standing and waiting. Studies have shown that hummingbirds feed, on average, 5-8 times per hour, but only for 30 – 60 seconds at each feeding.
This one has kicked it in to overdrive as it approaches a feeder
But when they do move in, they do it with gusto. There is nothing subtle about their flight. They are pure aerial acrobats, and a joy to watch. Here are some incredible facts about hummingbirds from two sources: The Hummingbird Book, by Donald and Lillian Stokes; and Operation RubyThroat: The Hummingbird Project.
A hummingbird hovering
Hummingbirds have the amazing ability to fly forward at speeds up to 50 miles per hour, can hover, fly backward, and even upside down briefly. The number of wing beats is also impressive – 60 times per second in normal flight; up to 200 times per second in courtship flight dives.
Hummingbirds hover better than other birds
Their unusual wing structure allows hummingbirds to hover better than most other species. Unlike other birds, the bones in the wing of a hummingbird are fixed, except at the shoulder joint, which can move in all directions.
Wing motion of a hovering hummingbird
While hovering, a hummingbird’s wing moves forward and then the leading edge rotates almost 180 degrees, and moves back. As this motion is repeated, the tips of the wings trace a horizontal figure eight in the air.
Female ruby-throats generally have white bellies and throats, and are slightly larger than males
Female ruby-throats are often more aggressive at feeders than males, since they are usually slightly larger. The average male weighs about 3 grams, or about the same as a penny. The average female is slightly larger, weighing in at about 3.5 grams. But both sexes can put on considerable weight this time of year in preparation for the migration south (often almost doubling their mass prior to flying south).
White-tipped, rounded tail feathers, belong to female or immature male ruby-throated hummingbirdsAdult males have pointed, dark-tipped tail feathers
Male ruby-throated hummingbirds are the first to arrive on the breeding grounds in spring, and the first to leave to return to their winter homes in late summer. Many of the adult males have already headed south, so, at first glance, it may look like a bunch of females in your yard. But, a closer look may give you some insights. While the tail feathers of adult males are dark-tipped and pointed, those of young males resemble the female, being rounded and white-tipped.
Young males often have streaked throats and just a few feathers showing red color
A better way to distinguish the sexes is to look at their throats. First-year males often have streaked throats (some females can as well), and frequently will have a few red feathers in their throat patch (or gorget) by this time of year.
Adult male ruby-throats have a brilliant red gorget, that can vary in intensity according to the light
Adult male ruby-throats have about 200 specialized feathers on their throat patch, which is called the gorget. The outer third of these feathers are iridescent. They have microscopic grooves and air bubbles that scatter and refract incoming light to make the feathers appear red. But, the iridescent part of the gorget feathers are flat, and only reflect light in one direction.
Adult males have dark throats (color varies according to how the light hits the feathers)
You have to be looking at the feathers from the right direction in order to see the flash of iridescent red. From other viewing angles, the feathers appear dark, or even black.
Hummingbirds have “eyelashes”
In looking at my images, I found several where the hummingbird was blinking. It almost looked like they had eyelashes. Well, in a way, they do. They have short bristle-like feathers along the edge of their eyelids. They probably function similar to our own by helping keep objects out of the bird’s eyes.
Hummingbirds in my yard feed from a variety of wildflowers, in addition to the sugar water feeders
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are believed to ingest at least half their weight in sugars each day. If you watch them closely, you can see they also feed on small insects and spiders, often snatching tiny flying insects out of the air.
Young male hummingbird hovering and feeding below a jewelweed flower
Dining on the wing as they do, hummingbirds have significant flight muscles, which account for about 25% of their body weight. Compare that to the analogous pectoral muscles of a human which make up a mere 5% of most humans.
Even at rest, they are humming along at a fast pace
A hummingbird is fast-paced even at rest – their heart rate is about 1250 beats per minutes and they breathe about 250 times per minute while perched. And what about that tongue! They can extend it a distance about equal to the length of their bill. And when lapping up nectar or sugar water at your feeder, their tongue flicks in and out about 13 times per second. They are truly remarkable birds, the flying jewels of our gardens. Enjoy them while they are still here, humming along at the flowers and feeders wherever you live.
~Quote attributed to a student in an introductory entomology course
We discovered a small caterpillar last week that was adorned with some unusual accessories, and that usually isn’t a good thing if you are a caterpillar. I think it was either a variable oakleaf, or a double-lined prominent caterpillar. Both are common species that feed on a wide variety of trees and shrubs.
Caterpillar adorned with green accessories (click photos to enlarge)
I have seen these bright green baubles attached to a few other caterpillars over the years, and it never ends up well.
Not the type of fashion accessory you want if you are a caterpillar
They really are beautiful in shape and color when you take a closer look. The first time I saw a caterpillar with these green blobs on its side was a few years ago. I thought they might be some sort of strange cocoon of a parasitic wasp. I was close…they are actually the larvae of a tiny parasitoid wasp in the family Eulophidae.
Eulophid wasp pupae next to the dead host caterpillar
After watching the caterpillar for a few days, I came back to find a strange array of tiny black blobs near the shriveled caterpillar carcass.
The small piles of yellow “stones” near the pupae are actually waste products
When I looked at my macro images, the small black blobs looked like some sort of macabre lawn recliner, with a tiny pile of rocks at the base. The black blobs turned out to be wasp pupae lying on their backs, and the piles of rocks are the waste products excreted by the wasp larvae prior to pupating. These are parasitoid wasps in the genus Eulophis. They feed inside their caterpillar host, mature, and then pupate in a group near the carcass of their victim. The excellent reference by Eiseman and Charney, Tracks and Signs of Insects and Other Invertebrates, refers to these bizarre creatures as “tombstone pupae”. I find a lot of these clusters of Eulophis pupae on the undersides of sycamore leaves this time of year.
Another strange way to go
A few days ago I found another caterpillar that had met what seemed like an unusual death.
At first, I thought a fungus had attacked this caterpillar
The fuzzy texture initially caused me to think some sort of fungus had killed it.
And what are these tiny black pellets?
But when I knelt down and took a closer look, I could see what looked like pupae inside the fuzz, as well as some tiny black pellets or balls stuck to the threads. What the heck is this? Going back to my reference book (mentioned above) for all things strange in the invertebrate world, I found a plausible answer. This caterpillar had been killed by another type of parasitoid wasp in that same family, but most likely in a different genus, Euplectrus. These larvae tend to form a cluster on the dorsal surface of the living caterpillar. When they finish feeding, they move to the underside of their deflated host, and arrange themselves in a row, and prepare to pupate. They create a gauzy, web-like cocoon, which attaches the caterpillar remains to the plant and provides a protective covering. The black pellets are the meconium, or waste products, cast out by the prepupa. It looks as though there wasn’t quite enough room under the carcass for all the wasp larvae to pupate, so some had to be elsewhere in the fuzzy covering.
How bizarre…and it is all happening just outside my door!
Red-spotted purple butterfly (click photos to enlarge)
Well, that is certainly the case for at least one species of butterfly here in the woods… the red-spotted purple, Limenitis arthemisastyanax. This common species is probably not considered beautiful by most observers during its pre-butterfly stages.
Early instar of red-spotted purple caterpillar
It is a bird poop mimic throughout its early life, especially from the third instar larva all the way through the chrysalis stage.
The larval stages are bird poop mimics with light splotches on a dark background
Last instar red-spotted purple caterpillar
I found a late instar caterpillar on a wild cherry recently and decided to watch it in hopes of finding the chrysalis when it crawled away.
Pre-pupa of red-spotted purple (note silk pad attachment point at rear of body – top in this photo)
The next day the larva was gone. They often crawl off the plant where they have been feeding and look for a vertical surface to climb. They make a silk pad, attach themselves and hang from it, forming a pre-pupa that lasts about 24 hours. Then, the last molt of the caterpillar skin occurs, revealing the chrysalis. Luckily, I discovered the pre-pupa attached to the basement door frame. The caterpillar had crawled a distance of about 25 feet. The next morning I hoped to see the chrysalis.
Dead pre-pupa the next morning
But, what I found instead was a dead, blackened pre-pupa. I have seen this shriveled black appearance in other caterpillars when they have been parasitized by various things from tachinid flies to a virus. I watched it the next couple of days and never saw any sign of something emerging, so I am guessing this is a viral infection of some sort that killed this particular larva. I was disappointed, but, to my surprise, I discovered a chrysalis a few days later while pulling weeds in the front yard.
Red-spotted purple chrysalis (still a bird poop mimic)
The red-spotted purple chrysalis looks like damp bird poop hanging from a twig. One odd feature is the small round disc that sticks off the side of the chrysalis at about the mid-point. I have never been able to figure out what this is in relation to the butterfly that emerges. I decided to try to keep tabs on this pupa over the next few days to see if I could get lucky and photograph the newly emerged butterfly.
Freshly emerged red-spotted purple butterfly
Sometimes you just get lucky, and the next morning when I checked, there was a freshly emerged butterfly clinging to the shell of its chrysalis. They usually hang on for an hour or so while they pump fluid into their wings (via the veins), and allow the wings to become firm for flight. This one’s wings were fully formed, so I found it just in time to get a few images.
A closer look at the head of the butterfly shows a coiled proboscis
I moved around taking photos. The butterfly occasionally moved in response, flapping its wings in preparation for its initial take-off. The colors on fresh butterflies are so vibrant!
The colors don’t quite match the butterfly’s name
But, admiring this fresh beauty reminded me that the colors don’t really match the rather odd name of this common species – the red-spotted purple. I wonder why it isn’t called the orange-spotted blue butterfly instead. And, come to think of it, while I am renaming things, perhaps I should change the title of this post to From Poop to Pretty. Both changes are perhaps a bit more descriptive of the unusual life history of this fascinating insect.
Nature taking its course – hunter and prey, the endless circle of life and death.
~Stephanie Meyer
Melissa found some cool caterpillars on a Viburnum this weekend while we were walking in a city park in Richmond.
Hummingbird clearwing caterpillar on Viburnum sp. (click photos to enlarge)
I walked over to take a look and saw a beautiful hummingbird clearwing larva, Hemaris thysbe, in the classic defensive pose of most sphinx moth caterpillars – front of body reared up, head tucked in, body aligned along the twig or mid-vein of a leaf. Suddenly, a huge European hornet, Vespa crabro, appeared and went straight for another caterpillar on the shrub, another hummingbird clearwing.
European hornet attacking a caterpillar
I managed two quick pictures, and the hornet flew off, carrying its prize back to its nest, where the defeated caterpillar was sure to be chewed up and fed to some hungry wasp larvae. We just stood there, amazed at what we had witnessed. When I looked at the image the next day, I noticed there was another, smaller caterpillar on the same leaf (look just to the left of the clearwing’s “horn” and you can see another small, green caterpillar).
European hornets first appeared in the United States in the mid-1800’s and have since spread throughout most of the East. They look like a very large (up to 1.5 inches) yellow jacket, but are more brownish yellow in overall appearance. We didn’t have time to stick around, but I would not be surprised if that same hornet didn’t come back and search that shrub again, perhaps finding one or more other victims to carry back to the nest. Amazing how a scene in nature can change in an instant.
There is more both of beauty and of raison d’etre in the works of nature- than in those of art.
~Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC)
The adaptations of insects in our yard are both beautiful and incredible. Here is a little more on some leaf edge caterpillars discovered the past few days…
Double-toothed prominent on elm leaf (click photos to enlarge)
One of the most exciting finds was a group of double-toothed prominent caterpillars (Nerice bidentata) on an elm sapling. These guys are amazing in that they have noticeable fleshy “teeth” on their dorsum that mimic the double serrated leaf edge of elm leaves, their host plant.
Early instar of double-toothed prominent larva
Several of them molted over the past few days and I noticed what seems like a slight change in behavior between the different sizes. The smaller larvae are somewhat darker in color and seem to feed along the leaf edges in a more exposed position.
Their color and pattern aids in the deception
The brown tips of the prolegs match brown spots along the mid-vein of the leaf.
Later instar
Larger larvae appear lighter in color, and seem to feed at an angle that puts them slightly under the leaf. The leaf underside is lighter in color than the top, so maybe this is why. The larvae also have angled stripes along their sides which mimic the venation of the leaves, adding to their effective disguise.
Double-lined prominent on elm leaf
While looking at other elm saplings, I came across another species that seems to mimic both the leaf edge and the twigs of its host plant. When viewing the dorsal surface of a double-lined prominent (Lochmaeus bileneata), the reddish-brown color resembles an elm twig.
The light stripes may mimic the leaf petiole
When viewed from the side, the white and yellow stripes along the cater[pillar’s body look like the mid-vein of a leaf, and the brown resembles dying leaf tissue.
Even the head stripe helps in the disguise
The feeding position (head towards the tip of the leaf, body along the mid-vein) reinforces the effectiveness of the cryptic pattern and colors, with even the stripes on the head capsule resembling part of the angled leaf venation. I suppose it should come as no surprise that I can spend hours wandering around the yard, amazed by the small wonders all around me. I hope you all can spend some time outside this holiday weekend and discover wonders of your own.
In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment.
~Charles Darwin
Unicorn caterpillar positioning itself in a portion of the leaf it has eaten (click photos to enlarge)
I shared some images last week of one of my favorite moth larvae, the unicorn caterpillar. Their shape, coloration, and behavior allow them to blend in remarkably well with their environment. Turns out, they are not alone in their ability to hide in plain sight along the edges of leaves. It is a common strategy of many caterpillars, and I was delighted to find a few other species of leaf edge mimics in the yard over the past few days.
Wavy-lined heterocampa on hophornbeam leaf
One of the more remarkable leaf edge look-alikes is the wavy-lined heterocampa, Heterocampa biundata. It is variable in color, but frequently has brick red and white splotches along its sides that resemble necrotic leaf tissue. I assume this is a particularly effective camouflage for species that live during late summer and early autumn when many leaves are pock-marked by such splotches.
Blending in to a hickory leaflet
This species is a generalist feeder on a variety of woody plants (I found them on two species of trees here in the yard). In addition to the leaf splotch patterns on their sides, they tend to align themselves along leaf edges in the areas of leaf they have devoured. The slight bump along their dorsal surface outline helps with this camouflage by making them look more like a leaf edge contour.
It requires a careful look to pick these leaf edge mimics out of the background of green
Another excellent leaf mimic is the chestnut schizura, Schizura badia. I found a few feeding on the leaves of a possumhaw, Viburnum nudum. They tend to place themselves inside the outline of portions of a leaf they have consumed, once again making for a well-camouflaged caterpillar.
A closer look
They also have brownish splotches that mimic dying leaf tissue.
Dorsal view
This species is characterized by a diffuse yellow saddle over the dorsum of the abdomen and a large, irregular-shaped, brown patch on the sides.
A close relative of the unicorn caterpillar
It is a close relative of the unicorn caterpillar and also has the ability to shoot a blend of acids at would-be predators. The defensive spray comes from a thoracic neck gland and can be shot a distance of up to several inches.
Small-eyed sphinx larva
Although not a leaf edge mimic per se, the other species I found yesterday does a good job of looking like a common leaf pattern on its host, wild cherry. I am pretty sure this is the first of its kind I have found in my years of caterpillar hunting. It is a small-eyed sphinx, Paonias myops.
The red splotches mimic leaf spots on wild cherry
The red splotches certainly are excellent mimics of the pattern on the underside of many wild cherry leaves this time of year. The behavior of this species helps with this deception as it tends to stay underneath leaves (where the leaf splotches are most noticeable) during the day and then comes out to feed mostly at night. Wagner, in his excellent reference, Caterpillars of Eastern North America, wonders if the spots are more apt to occur on individuals feeding in the autumn, when cherry leaves tend to have more splotches. I continue to be amazed at the intricacies of nature found just outside our door. More on some other leaf edge larvae in my next post.
I guess there are some unicorns out there somewhere.
~Tedy Bruschi
Indeed there are, and I have several in my back yard right now. In my last post, I mentioned I periodically check the leaves on a young wild cherry tree in the yard to see what might be using it for food or shelter. A few days ago, I discovered an early instar of a unicorn caterpillar, Schizura unicornis. They are named for the prominent horn-like protuberance on their first abdominal segment.
Early instar of a unicorn caterpillar feeding on wild cherry (click photos to enlarge)
This is the first early instar of this species I have seen (I am guessing it may be a second instar – an instar is a development stage between molts).
A closer look shows what look like droplets on the caterpillar spines
When I looked at my image I saw what looked like tiny droplets of liquid on most of the small spines covering the caterpillar’s body. So, I did an online search and found some surprising results. Turns out this species has some interesting defenses that include the ability to spray an attacker with a chemical concoction made of formic acid, acetic acid and other compounds. Perhaps these droplets can also be secreted from the small projections on the larva’s body, although I can’t find any confirmation of that.
Unicorn caterpillars resemble the curled dead portions of leaves
Another defense is their unusual shape and coloration. The wild cherry has a lot of dried leaf edges this time of year and the larvae tend to feed along the margins of these. They blend in remarkably well, even in their posture, as seen above.
Late instar unicorn larva (photographed a few years ago on wild cherry)
A close look at a later stage of the larva shows how well their shape, and even the smallest details of the patterns and lines on their body, help them to resemble dried portions of a leaf.
Early instar larvae have a white slash mark toward their rearThe small bit of green on the thoracic segments add to the illusion
Most of the ones I found on this sapling are small, and are feeding on the undersides of the leaves, making it even more difficult to spot them (I turned them up for the photos). But, one caterpillar was a bit easier to see since it was sitting atop a white blob of silk.
Their defenses are not always fool-proof
The tuft of silk turned out to be a cluster of cocoons of a species of a parasitoid, some species of braconid wasp. Braconid wasps are minute parasites (most are about the size of a large gnat) that lay eggs in a variety of other insects. There are over 17,000 recognized species and they are considered important biological controls of many other insect groups, especially the larvae of flies, beetles, and moths and butterflies. Upon hatching, the wasp larvae feed on the host, consuming non-vital tissue so that the host continues to live. Then, one day, the larvae emerge and pupate, and the host eventually dies.
Hog sphinx larva with braconid wasp cocoons (ironically, I had just commented to someone that I usually find the green form of this caterpillar, and, this week, I discovered this brown one)
Many of us are familiar with the external cotton swab style cocoons found on many species of caterpillars (especially tobacco hornworms on your tomatoes). In the photo above, you can see the wasps have already emerged since the caps of the cocoons are open. But there is another group of braconids that have a different strategy.
Unicorn larva guarding the pupating wasps
They may even alter the behavior of the host caterpillar, creating a so-called zombie caterpillar (what’s with all the zombie things in my yard?). When the wasp larvae emerge, they form an array of cocoons that the caterpillar sits atop and guards (as best it can) until the wasps emerge.
The unicorn caterpillar and its parasitoid pillow
I normally don’t interfere much with nature but I decided to remove the wasp cocoons and the doomed caterpillar so I could see what, and how many, parasitoids emerged. I’ll try to get some photo of the tiny masterminds whenever they complete their life cycle. Here’s hoping the other 5 unicorn caterpillars I found on the wild cherry sapling have a better fate.
The most beautiful gift of Nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.
~Albert Einstein
There is a wild cherry (Prunus serotina) sapling just outside our screen porch that is a favorite spot for all sorts of natural events. Wild cherry is a great host plant for a variety of moths and butterflies so I let this young tree grow in a spot too close to the house to ever reach any height just so I can keep track of the comings and goings of its tenants. It has been a busy place these past few days.
Red-spotted purple early instar larva (click on photos to enlarge)
Throughout the year, I can always count on seeing some sign of one of the primary occupants of this species of tree, the red-spotted purple butterfly, Limenitis arthemis. They lay their eggs at the tip of cherry leaves, and the larvae feed on the leaves through their entire caterpillar and chrysalis stage, appearing as bird poop mimics. And they even overwinter on the plant, with the third instar larvae of the fall generation making tiny sleeping bags, or hibernacula, by cutting away much of a leaf and rolling the base into a hollow tube where they spend the winter. Next spring, when the cherry leaves first sprout, the tiny larvae will emerge form their tube, begin feeding on the fresh leaves, and begin the whole cycle again. In the photo above, the larvae has already attached the leaf to the twig with silk (so the leaf fragment remains on the tree all winter) and is just beginning to curl the base of the leaf with even more silk (silk strands shrink as they dry, pulling the leaf together).
One day later, a hibernaculum!
By the next day, the larvae had finished constructing its hibernaculum and was resting inside. I’m a bit surprised it has constructed this so soon as there is still plenty of time for it to grow, pupate, and start another generation before cold weather. But, there are not many leaves left on this tree at this point, so maybe caterpillars can take a cue from food availability and go ahead and go into a resting phase for the winter.
Last instar red-spotted purple caterpillar on a different sapling
On a nearby cherry sapling, I found a much larger red-spotted purple larva which will soon, no doubt, form a chrysalis.
White-marked tussock moth larva, early instar
Back at the original tree, there were a couple of other caterpillars to observe. One of my favorite finds this time of year is the white-marked tussock moth caterpillar, Orgyia leucostigma . They remind me of a combination caterpillar and toothbrush, due to the four prominent tufts protruding near the head, plus the two black-colored tufts of setae out front that resemble some fancy flossing tool.
White-marked tussock moth larva and shed skin
Nearby was another one that had just molted. This species is a generalist feeder, so I find it on a variety of plant species around the yard.
An early instar unicorn caterpillar
Nearby was another of my favorites, an early instar of the unicorn caterpillar, Schizura unicornis. These guys do an amazing job of blending in with the edges of the leaves of whatever they are feeding on. As I looked around, I found a few more…and that will be some fodder for my next post.
I seemed to have reached a new world, so wild a place…far away from human society.
~Henry David Thoreau, on swamps
Sunset from the town dock in Columbia, NC (click photos to enlarge)
Columbia, North Carolina, that is. We spent several days in this beautiful little town last week, part vacation, part getting out to see some of the region for the trails project I am working on with NCLOW. It didn’t help that it was one of the hottest weeks of the summer, but it did help that we spent much of it on the water. And this region has lots of water, from Lake Phelps, the second largest natural lake in North Carolina, to the Scuppernong River, to the numerous creeks and sloughs that beckon paddlers to explore. So, we decided to take our kayaks, throw them in where we could, and see what we could see in a few days on the water. First stop, was the NW Alligator River.
NW Alligator meanders up into Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge from Hwy 94
I had scouted out some potential put-in points (they are few, unfortunately) so we decided to put in at what looks like an old boat ramp near where Hwy 94 crosses this section of river, about 14 miles south of Columbia. The access is now flooded, but there is a substantial old dock at the site, indicating its past use, perhaps in logging or fishery operations.
We launched on the east side of Hwy 94 at an old boat ramp area
The lands surrounding this waterway have scattered trees, low pocosin vegetation, and a border of marsh grasses, including pockets of wild rice. Shortly after we passed under the Hwy 94 bridge, we spotted a bald eagle, who managed to stay with us much of the morning. The other wildlife highlight were several red-headed woodpeckers, flying between the many standing dead trees along the route.
A perfect day for paddlingDragonflies were our constant companionsCalm winds made for great reflections
An abundance of clouds made for beautiful reflections and a respite from the heat. After paddling about 1.5 miles, we came to the juncture of the SW and NW branches of the Alligator, and headed north. The path narrows after this, and we found ourselves going through patches of alligator weed and a grass of some sort, most likely maiden cane. Patches of the alligator weed looked as though they had been treated (this is an invasive species that can clog small waterways and is often treated chemically by local agencies).
Large patches of maiden cane finally blocked our path
After paddling another couple of miles, we finally reached a patch of the maiden cane that seemed too large to easily push through, so we turned around and headed back. Our total paddle was about 5 to 6 miles. The only sounds, other than fish jumping, dragonflies buzzing, and woodpeckers drumming, was the distant hum of some crop dusters spraying some of the huge farm fields down the road. I want to go back in colder weather , once some of the vegetation dies back, and see if I can make it all the way up to the refuge road system.
Friends recommended we try Riders Creek, near Columbia. It enters the Scuppernong River on the far left.
The next day we hit Riders Creek, a small tributary to the Scuppernong River about 2 miles south of Columbia. Finding a suitable launch site was again the challenge. The two road bridges didn’t offer much so we drove down a side road after looking at Google Earth and Melissa tested a large log on the bank of a roadside canal as a potential launch site. Nothing fancy, but it worked. This day, we had help, and another paddler, and were dropped off (there is no place to park at this makeshift put-in) and planned to paddle back to the canoe/kayak launch behind the Pocosin Lakes Visitor Center in town, a total paddle distance of a little over 5 miles.
The narrow creek is a beautiful paddle
The upper portion of the creek was my favorite as it is narrow and intimate, allowing us to see and hear the many bird species (prothonotary warblers, woodpeckers, and a great horned owl) and appreciate the small things along the way (an owl feather floating on the black water, the distinctive webs of the many black and yellow argiope spiders, and a clump of blooming cardinal flower adding a splash of brilliant red to the sea of green around us).
Large bald cypress trees are scattered along the creekRiders Creek joins the Scuppernong River about 1.5 miles south of Columbia
It was another great paddle, only a couple of hours long, but through a beautiful swamp forest, into the wide waters of the lower Scuppernong, and ending back in the picturesque town of Columbia. And, we were the only ones on the water, probably not unusual in this underutilized area of rich scenery and wildlife.
A group of palamedes swallowtails gathering nutrients from a somewhat unsavory source – scatA large canebrake rattlesnake along a back road
The palamedes swallowtails were out and about everywhere, and we managed to find a large canebrake rattlesnake crossing one of the refuge roads. I never tire of seeing this magnificent reptiles, and the refuge seems to have a healthy population.
The south shore of Lake Phelps
Our last stop was at the pocosin overlook at Pettigrew State Park, along the south shore of Lake Phelps. The clear water at Lake Phelps is such a surprise after spending a couple of days in the dark, tannin-colored waters of the region. It made for a refreshing dip on a hot afternoon.
NCLOW is looking at how we might help bring more tourists into this region to explore and enjoy its rich natural and cultural heritage. The waterways here offer scenic beauty, abundant wildlife, and the chance for quiet and uncrowded paddling. And Columbia is a beautiful town with a rich history and great potential. It is also home to Pocosin Arts, a real treasure of eastern North Carolina, whose mission is to connect culture to the environment through the arts. They offer a range of classes year-round, and are looking at ways to incorporate even more of their unique natural surroundings into their offerings.
One area that does seem to be getting a lot of attention from tourists is nearby Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Situated only about 15 minutes from the Outer Banks certainly helps fuel the busy summer tourist season on this refuge. It is known for its large population of black bears and for paddling opportunities along Milltail Creek. Several OBX outfitters provide canoe/kayak rentals and guided trips on the refuge. We decided to spend our last paddle day checking out this area. We drove to the main launch site at Buffalo City and were surprised to see 10+ vehicles, a crowd of people, and probably 20+ kayaks and canoes. Most people probably go downstream along Milltail Creek, so we decided to drive to another, lesser-known launch site upstream to seek some solitude.
Milltail Creek is obviously a popular paddle destination (Alligator River is on the far left of image)We launched upstream where Milltail Road crosses the creekFloating dock at the launch site
Besides the advantage of proximity to a large tourist population on the Outer Banks, the refuge also has two well-maintained launch sites on Milltail Creek. Ours had a neat floating dock that makes for a very easy launch. As we put in, a trailer with 6 boats pulled up, so I guess this site is not as unknown as I had thought. We quickly got out ahead of the group and for a few hours felt like we were the only people anywhere near this beautiful swamp.
Milltail Creek starts out narrow at this launch
Swamp iris occur in many places along the creekAnother beautiful day for paddling
We paddled for a few hours, traveling a total of about 7 miles out and back. The creek is rich in bird life and we saw lots of wood ducks, herons, and a few anhinga. My highlights were seeing a large alligator and a black bear along the route. The scenery is beautiful, it is incredibly quiet (if the jets are not buzzing overhead), and it is a great combination of solitude, ease of access, and abundant wildlife. I can see why it is such a popular destination.
A large bald cypress beckoned us over for a closer look
At one point along the way, I noticed a large bald cypress tree hugging the shoreline. Its large limbs draped down, seemingly embracing the dark water, making it look like a perfect place to pull in and escape the sun.
The giant trunk looked invitingA great place to relax in the shade
Sure enough, it offered a chance to climb out of our boats, relax for a lunch break, and it provided a Swiss Family Robinson moment for a couple of thankful paddlers.
Our three days of paddling showed me the great potential for the Scuppernong region, truly one of the jewels of wildness in our state. I hope we can help foster an awareness and appreciation of the incredible resources of this unique area, provide some economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and maintain the incredible natural heritage and beauty of this wild landscape. On our way home, we decided to check out an area that is making a strong effort to do just that.
Recently completed tree houses along the Cashie River in Windsor
The town of Windsor is located along the Cashie River, between Williamston and Edenton. The town is making a commitment to ecotourism along its waterways (see Destination Windsor) with kayak and canoe rentals, pontoon boat tours, a wetlands walk, and the recently completed tree houses. These two tree houses, funded in part by grants, are to be the start of a village along the river including a few more tree houses and a renovated campground. They hope to have these available for rent starting this fall. It looks like a great start to getting visitors to come to appreciate their natural surroundings. Let’s hope they prove successful and can pave the way for more such ventures in the wilds of eastern North Carolina.
Roads End Naturalist 