Field Notes Update

Snowy Urola Moth /  by Todd Henson

A snowy urola moth blending in under a blade of grass.

While walking through some grass at Blandy Experimental Farm I saw a small flash of white. When I got down low and looked closely I found a small white moth, a snowy urola moth, hiding under a blade of grass. It was so small and narrow it just about disappeared when viewed from up top. It looked very sleek when hunkered down with its antennae and wings folded up.

A closer view of the snowy urola moth

I got as close as I could and kept photographing as the moth appeared to begin “looking about” with its antennae, perhaps trying to determine if the coast was clear or if there was a threat about. I knew I wasn’t a threat, but of course it didn’t know that.

The snowy urola moth with its antennae out

After creating these photos I moved on and left this little moth in peace.

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Adolescent Eastern Box Turtle /  by Todd Henson

Our first view of an adolescent eastern box turtle

My father has great eyes for noticing interesting things on the trail, and while hiking Sky Meadows State Park in Virginia he saw a young eastern box turtle right on the trail. We could easily have stepped on it if he hadn’t noticed it as soon as he did.

Getting closer to eye-level with the young eastern box turtle

Unfortunately, right after he noticed it we heard what sounded like the barking of a dog not too far ahead on the trail, and we had run into some hikers with their dog when we first set out. So I quickly got down and attempted to capture a number of photos of this beautiful turtle from several angles. Then I did something I rarely do as I hate directly interfering with nature. I picked up the young box turtle and gently placed it in the brush a little ways off the trail hoping it would minimize the risk of dogs finding and injuring it or of hikers accidentally stepping on it if they didn’t see it.

Getting a front view of the young eastern box turtle.

Not long after I moved the turtle a single person came down the trail and walked by us. We stood by the turtle for a little while in case a dog showed up so we could keep them from sniffing around the turtle, but no dogs showed up. We then wondered if that person had been practicing his dog calls. :-) Either way, we walked on, leaving the young eastern box turtle in peace.

Looking down on the young eastern box turtle shows the beautiful patterns on its shell.

This wasn’t the youngest turtle I’ve ever seen, as I my father and I have seen a newly hatched snapping turtle walking on the trail towards water. But this was certainly the youngest eastern box turtle I’ve seen so far, though I don’t know how old it is. Look at the bright and beautiful patterns on its shell.

I tried to help the young eastern box turtle blend in to better protect it from whatever might be coming down the trail.

Do you have any box turtle stories to tell? I’d love to hear about them.

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Making Friends with an Emperor: Hackberry Emperor Butterfly /  by Todd Henson

A hackberry emperor butterfly landed on my pants

While walking the grounds of Blandy Experimental Farm, the State Arboretum of Virginia, I had the opportunity to befriend a hackberry emperor butterfly. It landed on my pants and didn’t want to leave, busily licking my pants with its proboscis, which looks like a very long tongue. Apparently it’s common for this species to land on and lick people for the sodium in their sweat. I have to assume I’d been sweating right through my pants as this little butterfly just didn’t want to leave.

Though it remained on my pants, every so often the hackberry emperor butterfly would flap its wings

A front view of the hackberry emperor butterfly showing off its proboscis

The underside of hackberry emperor butterfly wings are lighter in color than the top

The hackberry in their name comes from the fact they only lay their eggs on the hackberry tree, which provides food for their larvae. When adults they feed on the hackberry sap, but also from sources away from the tree, like dead and decaying animals and fruit, among other things (human sweat).

A closeup view of the head and proboscis of the hackberry emperor butterfly

Interestingly, the hackberry emperor frequents flowers less often than many other butterfly species. And when it does visit a flower it seems to do so very carefully, only reaching in with its proboscis and avoiding touching pollen with its legs or antenna. This means it’s not a very good pollinator and thought of more as a parasitic insect, leeching off plants without providing any benefit to them.

A parting view of the hackberry emperor butterfly perched on my pants

Thankfully, though, it does provide one benefit I’m aware of, and that’s the joy of seeing it. It’s a beautiful little butterfly, and one I hope to encounter again.

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