Field Notes Update

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar /  by Todd Henson

An eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar

Butterflies and moths are some of the fantastic creatures that begin their lives in very different forms, that of caterpillars. I’m not yet very good at identifying caterpillars but some of them are very distinctive, which can help. In this case we have a green caterpillar with what appears to be a large bulbous head with large yellow and black “eyes” and a yellow stripe around its neck and some blue spots around its body. Of course, a lot of this is just decoration, likely to make it appear less appetizing to any nearby predators.

Look at those “eyes” on the eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar

I was fortunate to find this beautiful eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar

After a bit of online searching it appeared I’d found the caterpillar for an eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, one of the common and very beautiful species we see here in Virginia. The butterflies can be largely yellow or largely black but I’ve no clue how to tell from the caterpillar which it would become. As luck would have it, the first butterfly I photographed this year was a yellow eastern tiger swallowtail, so here’s a view of it resting on some leaves of the forest floor. We saw the butterfly in early April and the caterpillar in late May

My first view of a butterfly in 2022 happened to be a yellow eastern tiger swallowtail

When I returned to the site of the caterpillar a couple weeks later it was gone. The entire leaf was gone. I had hoped to find the leaf curled up with the chrysalis inside. I’ve read they can stay in chrysalis form for approximately 1 to 3 weeks, so it is possible I was too late. It’s also possible something happened to it. Perhaps it became a meal or a person walking along the boardwalk took it. I’m hopeful it managed the transformation to a butterfly, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to view and photograph it.

This was my first encounter with an eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar. Have you seen any of these before?

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Stages of Growth of Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchids /  by Todd Henson

It takes time and effort, but it can be a fun and educational exercise to trace the lifecycle of a plant. Today we look at some of the stages of growth of pink lady’s slippers, a type of orchid native to parts of North America and found, in this case, in Virginia.

Note that I didn’t capture all the stages from a single plant. And there are stages I’m unable to witness, such as those that occur below the soil before new growth appears in spring. There may also be later stages I’ve yet to capture. If so I’ll update this page with any more I record.

First Hint of Green

The first hint of green of a pink lady’s slipper just emerging from the soil and a layer of pine needles.

On April 2nd, I found the first signs of growth, this little tip of green just poking through the pine needles next to a fallen tree.

Leaves Form

The young leaves of two pink lady’s slippers. Each has two leaves.

Before long that little tip of green will open into a pair of leaves. Some young plants may take more than a single year before they bloom. These are likely one of those. This photo was created on May 5th.

Green Buds of Pink Lady’s Slippers

Though not yet pink, the pink lady’s slipper begins to take shape with a single green bud between the two leaves.

On April 21st I found this young pink lady’s slipper just beginning to take shape. There’s no pink yet, just a small green bud. But you can begin to see the flower it will become.

Developing Buds

The developing pink lady’s slipper buds are beginning to take on a slight shade of pink.

Different plants develop at different paces. Also on April 21st I found this cluster of young orchids at different stages. You can begin to see some pink in the foremost one. This is where the very first photo of the first hint of green was created. So it took 19 days to go from the first tip of green to this stage of growth.

Pink Lady’s Slippers in Full Bloom!

Finally, we see the pink lady’s slippers in all their glory.

The stage everyone is waiting for, when pink lady’s slippers show off what is sometimes a very vibrant shade of pink. These were all created on May 3rd, and several are the location of the first photo, so in 31 days these plants went from first hint of green to fully in bloom.

A front view of a cluster of pink lady’s slippers.

The same cluster of pink lady’s slippers as above seen from a distance.

A pair of pink lady’s slippers.

A closeup of a pink lady’s slipper in full bloom.

Fading Blooms

A cluster of pink lady’s slippers well past their prime.

On May 12th I found the first signs of fading blooms. This is a different set of plants than the other photos and seems to fade faster than they do, perhaps because it’s more exposed to the sun. You can see how the pink blossoms start to dry out, shriveling up and turning brown.

A closeup of the fading blossom of a pink lady’s slipper, drying, wilting, and turning brown.

And on May 25th all the blooms were either fading or gone. Below are a couple more examples of fading lady’s slipper blooms.

A pair of wilting pink lady’s slippers

A withered pink lady’s slipper. Just behind it is one where the remains of the bloom has already fallen.

After the Flowers Have Fallen

May 25th was when I found most of the flowers had already dropped from the stalks. The flowering season of the pink lady’s slipper is over. We must now wait another year to see these beautiful flowers bloom again, and I very much look forward to that time.

A pink lady’s slipper after the flower has fallen

A pink lady’s slipper after the bloom is gone. Look closely and you may notice an out-of-focus insect up top.

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Luna Moth on Bark /  by Todd Henson

A Luna moth resting on the bark of a tree along the trail.

There are species I sometimes think I’ll never see in a natural setting, and many moths fall into that category. I might see them early in the morning or late at night around buildings, but finding them out in nature? Nope.

A closeup of the Luna moth showing some of the fascinating patterns and structures.

Thankfully, the Luna moth proved me wrong! While hiking the trails of Prince William Forest Park one afternoon in late April I just happened to see a shape and color that stood out near the base of a tree, and found this particular Luna moth resting on the bark. As often happens with resting moths, this one paid me no heed whatsoever as I inched closer and closer with the camera, so I was able to get some closeup views of this beautiful moth. I hope you enjoy them.

A vertical view of the Luna moth.

Then in late May I had a second encounter in the same park. This time I found a Luna moth resting upside down on the branch of a downed tree. Seeing it from this perspective allows us to see that nice set of eyes on the lower inside wings, and also gives a view of the white body of the moth. This particular one appears to have lost the tips of its two tails.

The underside of a Luna moth

Facing down a Luna moth

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