Six-spotted Tiger Beetle at Caledon /  by Todd Henson

The six-spotted green tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata). Notice the white mandibles and large eyes.

Six-spotted tiger beetles (Cicindela sexguttata) are not an uncommon sight at many of the locations I’ve photographed, and they’re easy to spot because of their flashy metallic green coloration, especially when the sun hits them. But they can sometimes be a challenge to photograph as they most often seem skittish and are very quick to skitter or fly away. Thankfully, I found a willing subject in late May of 2022 at Caledon State Park in Virginia.

Looking down on a green six-spotted tiger beetle on a sandy part of the trail

The green of the six-spotted tiger beetle stands out no matter where you find it

I’ve most often seen them in the forest skittering around on some of the paths, the forest floor, or on fallen trees. They’re not particularly large beetles, around a half inch or so in length. As you might guess when you spot their white mandibles they are a predatory species, hunting other small insects.

Saying goodbye to the six-spotted tiger beetle

You can see another example of a six-spotted tiger beetle in One Afternoon Six Critters, where this shiny green beetle was one of six creatures we found while hiking Prince William Forest Park.

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Ghost Pipes of Caledon /  by Todd Henson

Ghost pipes of Caledon

This week we get a view of a cluster of ghost pipes growing in Caledon State Park in Virginia. I photographed these in late May of 2022. Ghost pipes (Monotropa uniflora) are a very interesting plant, especially in that they don’t contain chlorophyll. Instead they pull energy through a parasitic bond to a type of fungi, which itself has a parasitic bond to other plant life, such as trees.

Even though it may not look like it, these are flowering plants producing a single flower bud atop each stem. You can see the buds in this photo. Apparently they do produce pollen and bumblebees are one of their more common pollinators, though I don’t recall seeing any around any of the plants I’ve found.

I found a similar cluster of ghost pipes during our first visit to Voorhees Nature Preserve in July of 2021.

Have you ever stumbled upon ghost pipes in any of the woods you’ve hiked?

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White Trillium From Bud to Bloom in 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Rounded petals on a small white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

My father and I were fortune to head out looking for trilliums when they just happened to be in peak bloom in Virginia on April 23, 2024. Granted, we’d visited the area earlier in April, knowing it was too early for trillium but wanting to see if there was any evidence of them yet. At that time there weren’t, but when we returned they were everywhere. I was like a kid in a candy store with only a quarter and so many sweets I wanted to try. I felt overwhelmed.

A very pink “white” trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), with mayapple leaves in the background

An emerging pink-toned white trillium bud

This glowing white trillium has narrower and wavy petals

Over the course of about an hour I managed to photograph a sampling of the flowers we found. Despite the different shapes, sizes and colors, I believe all of these are examples of Trillium grandiflorum, sometimes known as white trillium or large-flowered trillium. But please let me know in the comments below if you know otherwise.

Even a seemingly imperfect trillium can be beautiful

Light pink petals of a white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

The trillium bud begins to open

White trillium, yellow stamens

Elegance of a white trillium

The bud becoming a bloom (Trillium grandiflorum)

The glow from within (Trillium grandiflorum)

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