Field Notes Update

Bright and Beautiful Berries /  by Todd Henson

A fresh red berry, believed to be a wineberry.

Back in July we started seeing wild berries ripening along the forest trails, and some of the red ones really stood out, being so bright and beautiful. At first glance we thought these were raspberries, but upon further research I believe they’re actually wineberries, an invasive species in the same genus as raspberries and blackberries that was introduced to North America as breeding stock for raspberries. And as so often happens, it spread very aggressively from then on.

A small cluster of berries, some still forming.

Berries are on their way!

The biggest factor that leads me to believe these are wineberries instead of raspberries is the color the the stems. Wineberry stems are covered in red hairs that give their stems a very reddish look. Raspberries lack these hairs so their stems aren’t so red.

Notice the red stems, leading to my belief these are wineberries.

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Broad-headed Sharpshooter (Oncometopia orbona) /  by Todd Henson

A broad-headed sharpshooter (Oncometopia orbona) resting on a leaf

Today we take a brief look at a very interesting looking insect, one that’s not uncommon but that many of us may not have seen before. This is a broad-headed sharpshooter (Oncometopia orbona), a type of sharpshooter and in the family of leafhoppers. As you may be able to tell from the names these insects are able to hop or shoot quickly away from a plant. They also typically feed on plants, essentially drinking liquid from them. Unfortunately, this particular species is also known to carry a bacterium that causes disease in grapevines in some regions.

This particular sharpshooter was photographed at the end of July, 2021, at Blandy Experimental Farm, the State Arboretum of Virginia, a fantastic location for lovers of plants and all the things you can find around plants. There were large fields of plants and that’s where I happened to notice the interesting coloration and patterns of this insect.

Cropped in to get you a little closer to the broad-headed sharpshooter

Look closely and you may notice an interesting feature of this specific insect. I believe this is a female broad-headed sharpshooter. How can I tell? The females can sometimes be seen with white milky or waxy patches on the sides of their wings. The patches are called brachysomes and contain proteins they’ll scrape onto their eggs to help protect them from drying out and from some predators. I think the small patches of white on the wings and the rear legs of this sharpshooter might be the remains of this substance, so she may have recently laid some eggs somewhere.

In the past I’ve shared photos of another sharpshooter, a Versute sharpshooter on the leaves of an hibiscus.

Have you seen one of these broad-headed sharpshooters before? And if so, where did you find it?

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Snowberry Clearwing Moth /  by Todd Henson

Snowberry clearwing moth on thistle

In a recent post about the hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) I’d mentioned that it wasn’t the only clearwing moth in the area, so today we take a look at another, the snowberry clearwing (Hemaris diffinis). Both of these species are known as hummingbird moths for their resemblance to hummingbirds. If you don’t look closely, or aren’t aware of their existence, it can be easy to confuse one for the other.

Looking at the back of a snowberry clearwing feeding on thistle nectar

The primary differences between the snowberry and the hummingbird clearwing, as mentioned in the previous post, are the black legs on the snowberry (versus pale colored on the hummingbird) and the dark band around the eyes and down the side of the snowberry. Both can have an olive-greenish toned thorax, but as you can see, one of these snowberry has less green in it, instead featuring a more tan or golden thorax. There is some variation in each species appearance.

The benefits of a long tongue become obvious when watching this snowberry clearwing feeding

Some of these photos are not as in focus as I’d like. These little hummingbird moths are quite challenging to photograph as they constantly move about from flower to flower, feeding on nectar. But I’m hopeful the photos help show just how much of the wing can be clear, hence the clearwing in their name.

In this photo the snowberry clearwing has just finished feeding and is moving away from the flower. Notice how its tongue begins to curl inwards.

The other feature I’d like you to notice is their long tongue, used to reach into deeper flowers much as hummingbirds do. As the snowberry clearwing moved away from a flower it had just been feeding from it curled up its tongue. I don’t know if this is typical behavior, though I suspect it is.

The snowberry clearwing has moved further from the flower after feeding and we can now see its tongue more tightly curled.

If you happen to live in the eastern half of the United States then keep your eyes open for snowberry clearwing hummingbird moths. You just might see one. I don’t see them all that often, but each time is a joy. I hope you’ve gotten some enjoyment viewing these wonderful little flying marvels.

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