northeast-flora-and-fauna

This was 1 of the Margined Leatherwing Beetles on yesterday's Hemp Dogbane . They are 1 of our more commonly seen soldier beetles , a family of beetles considered to be somewhat related to fireflies : Both are longish beetles with relatively soft elytra (the mostly protective outer wings) compared to the typical beetle. Both grow from larvae that prey on invertebrates like snails, slugs, worms, and some insects. But AFAIK none of the soldier beetles exhibit any bio-luminescent traits. The Margined Leatherwing Beetle - like its Goldenrod Soldier Beetle cousins [1] - is generally considered to be a beneficial pollinator as adults [2]. June 3, 2023 at John Clyde Native Grassland Preserve Photo 300859635, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) [1] Supporting their relatedness, the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle is sometimes called a Goldenrod Leatherwing Beetle while the Margined Leatherwing Beetle is sometimes called a Margined Soldier Beetle. [2] Their predatory days may not be...

Here's a Hemp Dogbane from last spring. I've talked about Hemp Dogbane before, but it was either to compare it with milkweed or to talk about its ecological benefits . But there's plenty of interesting things about them: Though generally considered toxic to eat, it does have cardiac glycosides that could treat (with some dangers) heart problems. And just because it's poisonous, that hasn't stopped it from being used in tons of folk medicine. The latex sap has been used with clay to make a chewing gum. (I'm not sure I'd personally be a big fan of latex-and-dirt gum, but apparently some folks feel differently.) The Snowberry Clearwing caterpillars, 1 of my favorite moths [1], can use it as a host plant. (They can also use some of the honeysuckles as host plants.) If you've got too much lead in your soil, Hemp Dogbane can help you remove it [2]. Despite some toxicity, livestock will sometimes eat it, which can make them ill. And of course dogs, who'...

A couple months ago I saw a family hanging out together. Not people or animals, this family consisted of a dogbane and a milkweed growing up side-by-side; both are in what is colloquially called the dogbane family . I'm almost certain that the purplish flower buds on the right are from a Common Milkweed , while I'm only reasonably certain that the smaller-leafed guy with whitish flowers are a Hemp Dogbane . Though they are family, I'm sure there's a fierce family rivalry going on here to see which plant gets the most resources and propagates the most future plants. It's not hard to believe these wildflowers are related: The leaf structure (at least between these 2 species) is similar. Broken leaves/stems will exude a white, latex-like substance. They both have a cluster of small flowers (though less densely packed in the dogbane). Both will produce seed pods with white fluff to catch the wind and distribute the seeds. (The milkweed pod will be quite a bit larger, bu...