Insects and Plants
June 13, 2009
Philadelphus delavayi and Papilio rutulus
Heading out of the garden after an afternoon of taking photos, I was drawn to the intoxicating fragrance of Philadelphus delavayi, which was in full bloom. As I neared the shrub to drink in the aroma, I noticed this lovely butterfly busily feeding on the nectar from the flowers.
Ingrid Hoff, Horticulture Manager at UBC Botanical Garden and our resident insect specialist, identified it as Papilio rutulus, the western tiger swallowtail. She writes about the visitor, "This is one of the most common butterflies along the west coast, often found anywhere there is moisture. Large numbers of males can often be found "puddling" together in muddy areas or near streams. The species is found from British Columbia to Baja California east through the Rocky Mountains, but rarely beyond them. The western tiger swallowtail can have up to three broods per season.
Philadelphus delavayi has been feature on BPotD previously. Daniel Mosquin wrote this entry, which is still very much worth reading and the text accompanies a beautiful close up view of the buds and flowers.
The interpretive sign for this plant describes it very well:
"Named for the French missionary Père Jean Marie Delavay (1838-1895), who characterized much of the flora of Yunnan, Philadelphus delavayi is a variable species that is considered one of the most beautiful of all mock oranges.
Like other Philadelphus species, Delavay mock orange is an arching shrub that displays its pure white, saucer-shaped, fragrant flowers on short, lax racemes. The appeal of Philadelphus delavayi does not lie so much in its open flowers—which are admittedly large and beautiful—but in the sumptuous plum-purple calyces that back the flowers. The startling contrast of the purple calyx and white corolla is best seen before the flowers are completely open."
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:29 AM| Comments (8)
June 3, 2009
Salix species and Rhabdophaga rosaria
Today's images come to us from Suzan D. Suzan posted the photos for identification on the UBC Botanical Garden forums in 2004. She cleverly called these "woses." Original post.
Although the structure in the photo looks very much like a green rose, roses do not grow on willows. And while Suzan never found the insect, we believe this to be a gall caused by Rhabdophaga rosaria, the European rosette willow gall midge. Galls are abnormal growths found on plants that can be caused by parasites such as insects, mites, fungi or bacteria. Insects, particularly wasps and midges, are the most common cause of galls on plants. Plants form the galls in response to ovipositing or feeding by the insect, or from infection by another agent. The gall is an attempt to surround and isolate the invader. In the case of insects, the gall actually forms a protective chamber, where the larvae can develop safely away from predators.
Many types of galls exist. Many are shaped like balls or blisters. They are still unusual things to find in the garden, like this one from the UBCBG forums. In North America they are most commonly found on Fagaceae (oaks), but are also often found on Salicaceae (willows), Rosaceae (roses) and Asteraceae (asters). In general, they cause little damage to the plants and most are not considered to be significant pests.
Further reading on plant galls:
- Insect Galls, University of Florida Extension
- Gall-Making Insects - John A. Byers
- To Be Or Not To Be A Gall, Wayne's Word http://waynesword.palomar.edu/pljuly99.htm
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:43 PM| Comments (20)
March 2, 2009
Abies religiosa and Danaus plexippus
Abies religiosa is native to southern Mexico and western Guatemala at high altitudes: 2100m to 4100m (or thereabouts). According to the Gymnosperm Database entry for Abies religiosa, its common name of sacred fir is due to "its widespread use in Mexico to create decorations for use at religious festivals, especially Christmas", though others have suggested it is because the tips of the branches form a cross. The common name of oyamel fir tends to be more widely-used in popular texts about the species, particularly with regard to its ecology and its relationship with the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus.
The oyamel fir forests of Mexico are the wintering grounds for the monarchs of eastern North America, where the insects can be found in densities of 10 million individuals / hectare (4 million individuals / acre). While the species Abies religiosa itself is in no conservation danger, deforestation (ranging from illegal clearcut logging to thinning of trees -- see this documentary on illegal logging near the monarch reserves) is altering the ecological conditions of the oyamel fir forest such that the monarchs may one day no longer find suitable wintering habitat. Journey North explains the ecological requirements of the wintering monarchs in point form: The Monarch's Forest Ecosystem: Mexico's Oyamel Fir Forest. Simply put, deforestation is changing the humidity and temperature regime of the forest, such that the monarchs will not be able to meet their physiological requirements for wintertime survival.
You can learn more about monarch butterflies from these valuable sites: MonarchLIVE, the monarch butterfly page from Canadian Biodiversity (discusses threats and monarch migration) and Monarch Watch (blog) (these great folks also could use a little bit of financial help, if you're so inclined).
Ah, one last thing -- I apologize about the quality of the photographs. I forgot my polarizing filter for this trek to see the butterflies so the photographs have a lot of glare. I also wish I could've taken better photographs of the firs, but the butterflies kept getting in the way. Perhaps these videos I took will make up for it (one thing to note in the videos -- what appear to be solid masses of black shaded foliage are actually clusters of butterflies resting on the branches):
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:26 PM| Comments (17)
January 19, 2009
Pinus monticola and Leptoglossus occidentalis
Today's entry is courtesy of Hannah Bottomley from Simon Fraser University, who has recently co-authored a paper on today's subjects. We've Hannah to thank for the write-up and thermographic images and Stephen Takács for the conventional photographs. Hannah writes:
Pinus monticola (western white pine) cones glow warmly in contrast to cool conifer needles in the infrared spectrum (top right; bottom left). Cones can be up to 15˚C warmer than needles (as indicated by the temperature bar on the right) and emit significantly stronger infrared radiation. Infrared radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation that the human eye is unable to perceive; it has longer wavelengths than visible light (380-750 nanometres), but shorter wavelengths than microwaves (1 millimetre to 1 metre).
These thermographic images of Pinus monticola cones were taken with an infrared camera, exposing a previously unknown way in which insects are able to hone in on their host plant. Recent research by Takács and his colleagues reveals that Leptoglossus occidentalis (western conifer seed bug) has infrared receptors and is able to exploit the difference between cones and needles in the infrared spectrum, and zero in on cone-laden conifers from afar. This insect is a specialist herbivore that feeds on the contents of developing conifer seeds; in the second photo, it can be seen feeding on a Pinus monticola cone.
This phenomenon of warm cones is not limited to Pinus monticola - it has also been observed in Pinus contorta var. latifolia (lodgepole pine), Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir), Picea engelmannii (Engelmann spruce) and Larix occidentalis (western larch). It is attributed in part to the fact that larger objects retain more heat than smaller objects, as well as to the tendency of a cone's surface to reflect solar radiation. In all likelihood, seed development (and associated metabolic activity) is also generating warmth, contributing to the relatively high temperature of conifer cones.
Although there are a few recognized infrared-detecting insects, this is the first study to show that herbivorous insects are using infrared emission from a specific part of a live plant as a foraging cue. This research is yet another testament to the complexity of plant-insect interactions and reminds us that there is a world of nature that exists beyond our own perception.
Daniel adds: For a popular summary of the paper, see "Heat Sensors Guide Insects to a Hot Meal" from ScienceNews. To view the scientific paper, see: Takács, S. et al. 2008. Infrared radiation from hot cones on cool conifers attracts seed-feeding insects. Proceedings of The Royal Society B. 276(1657):649-655. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0742. For those of you who are particularly keen, I note that mast-seeding is mentioned in the abstract as a hypothesized method of producing a cone-crop large enough to exceed the capabilities of the insect herbivores to eat them all.
Horticulture / Garden Design link: Les jardins de Quatre-Vents, a garden I first learned about yesterday from the guide (thank you, Luana!) at Montréal Botanical Garden. Here are some photographs of the landscape and the plants. Virtual tours (in English) are available here: Virtual Tours of Les jardins de Quatre-Vents.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 7:23 AM| Comments (16)
November 13, 2008
Dendroctonus ponderosae
Thanks to Ruth for today's write-up and the first of the two photographs (I contributed the second). Ruth writes:
Today's BPotD is not of a plant but rather of the arthropod "anti-plant". The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, is a serious pest of the genus Pinus in British Columbia. Ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole (Pinus contorta), (the non-native) Scots (Pinus sylvestris) and limber pine (Pinus flexilis) are all attacked by this beetle. The adult beetles bore through the bark to the phloem (nutrient transport system) where they feed and lay eggs.
Outbreaks of this native beetle in North America have been experienced before, but this outbreak is an order of magnitude more severe than any previously recorded. Recent mild winters and an abundant food supply are considered to be the main cause of the explosion in beetle populations. British Columbia and Alberta apparently have the worst outbreaks, and these can be seen clearly from the air or on distant hillsides (in the second photograph) as reddish-brown patches through the forest. I took the first photograph in September along BC's Highway 5 to Kelowna.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 10:56 PM| Comments (22)
August 25, 2008
Passiflora caerulea
This will be the second-last image in this pollinator series, as there are plenty of great non-pollinator images in the Flickr pool and the garden's BPotD submissions forum to share. Thanks to Eric in SF @Flickr for sharing today's photograph with us (original via Flickr BPotD Group Pool). Much appreciated, Eric, as always!
Passiflora caerulea, or passionflower, has previously been featured on BPotD -- but not with a honey bee! As stated by Eric on the Flickr page, this species is bee-pollinated. Wikipedia's entry on Passiflora mentions the pollinators of other species: "Some species can be pollinated by hummingbirds and bumble bees, others by wasps, still others are self-pollinating."
The University of Connecticut's Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Greenhouses have a page on Passiflora caerulea with horticultural information. Wayne Armstrong provides a brief summary of economic uses, religious symbolism and toxic properties of the genus in a small write-up on Passiflora.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:44 PM| Comments (7)
August 20, 2008
Berberis sp.
The photographer behind today's image is Jack Dykinga, who I assume must have done some work for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service at one time (unless there are two exceptional photographers named Jack Dykinga). Artistic work commissioned by the US government has few restrictions on its reuse, and in this case, the photograph is licensed under the Creative Commons.
As noted on the above-linked page, this is a photograph of an Osmia ribifloris on a species of Berberis. The bee is commonly known as a blue orchard bee or, due to its success as a commercial pollinator of blueberry crops, the blueberry bee. In the wild, it is typically a pollinator of Californian manzanitas.
Wikipedia has an intriguing entry on Berberis (or barberry); the write-up for the genus includes details about the use of some species as spices or foods in Asia and South America. Somewhere around five hundred species of barberry are thought to exist, growing in temperate and subtropical regions of most continents except Australia (and, it goes without saying, Antarctica).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:14 PM| Comments (12)
August 11, 2008
Gilia latiflora subsp. davyi
Note: this entry was rewritten on Sept. 23, 2008 due to a misidentification. Thanks to David (see comments below) for the correct ID.
Broad-flowered or hollyleaf gilia is an annual plant. A California endemic, it is found in the southern portion of the state in the southwestern Mojave Desert and adjacent foothills. These photographs were taken while I was developing the worst sunburn of my life in late March. This was thanks in part to the cool winds that gust through the Antelope Valley from the nearby mountains in spring, which deceived me into believing I wasn't being slowly roasted by the sun.
The closely-related species (and the name of my original, incorrect identification) Gilia tricolor is a popular annual ornamental, if search engine results are any indication. For a comparison between the correct identification and my original misidentification, Calphotos provides an extensive set of photographs of both Gilia latiflora subsp. davyi and Gilia tricolor.
As for the insect in today's photograph, I believe it is Hyles lineata (source: Butterflies and Moths of North America Database), or the white-lined sphinx. Wikipedia has some photographs of the larvae (caterpillars), as does this site. While many moths are nocturnal, it is noted that the white-lined sphinx will often be active during the day (and this one was plenty active!). I think I've linked to it before, but if you haven't seen the US Forest Service's site on Celebrating Wildflowers, it is worth investigating. They even have a section on moth pollination.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:48 PM| Comments (18)
August 8, 2008
Valeriana sitchensis
Let's start a little series on plants and pollinators, and see where that takes us. I can't guarantee I'll be able to identify all of the pollinators, but maybe some kind folks will identify and comment.
In this case, I believe this Sitka valerian is being visited by a hoverfly, a fairly common pollinator of plants. While population declines in pollinator groups such as bees and vertebrates get some press, the conservation status and potential effect of a decline in dipterans (flies and mosquitoes) is poorly understood (see: Kearns, C.A. 2001. North American dipteran pollinators: assessing their value and conservation status. Conservation Ecology 5(1): 5). Unfortunately, that likely isn't going to change soon, if this quote from the discussion section of that paper remains true:
"An attempt to document the conservation status of fly pollinators in North America reveals the need for further basic research into fly pollination systems, and into the natural fluctuations in dipteran abundance. The main impediment to implementing any of the large-scale studies recommended is that intensive collecting efforts produce large numbers of species that require identification. Fly species identifications are often difficult, and the number of fly taxonomists is limited."
Sitka valerian is native to western North America, where it is typically a plant of mid- to high-elevations in moist meadows and open subalpine forest. In some areas of the Thynne Mountain, where this photograph was taken, it was the dominant herbaceous species. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia notes that First Nations groups often used the plant as a medicine or disinfectant.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:37 PM| Comments (11)
July 26, 2007
Foeniculum vulgare and Rhagonycha fulva
Ask most people about the various kinds of flower pollinators and the first responses you are likely to get are bees and butterflies. Beetles, however, are also important pollinating organisms. One site uses the figure of beetles contributing to the population of up to 88% of the world's flowering plants (source: Beetle Pollinators via the USDA's Pollinators site), though I haven't been able to find a scientific reference to back up that number (and considering the number of exclusively bee-, butterfly-, moth-, bat-, wind- and water-pollinated plants, I find it a bit hard to believe). Beetle pollination is scientifically known as cantharophily, coincidentally named after the soldier beetle family, Cantharidae, to which the beetle in today's photo belongs.
My observations, later verified upon researching, were that this beetle is an incidental pollinator. In its quest for seeking out small edible insects, the common red soldier beetle (photo in flight | Wikipedia) inserts its head into the diminutive flowers and brushes up against the anthers. Pollen sticks to the head of the beetle and is subsequently transferred to other flowers as it continues its grazing behaviour. In the span of ten minutes, I observed this beetle visiting approximately twenty flowers — quite a pace!
Rhagonycha fulva is often found on members of the Apiaceae, or umbel family, like the plant in today's photograph: Foeniculum vulgare, or fennel (previously featured on BPotD here with a link to Gernot Katzer's spice page on fennel). Interestingly, Gernot Katzer notes that it is not only the fruits of fennel that are used in cuisine; the pollen of fennel (aka “Spice of the Angels”) is a small-scale exotic (and expensive) herb crop in Italy and California. If only the beetles could be trained...
Lastly, thank you to both BugGuide and What's That Bug? for enabling me to identify the beetle.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 6:03 AM| Comments (8)
August 1, 2006
Danaus plexippus and Asclepias tuberosa
Today's image is courtesy of Janet Davis, garden writer extraordinaire and author of the Beautiful Botany web site (previously featured as a resource link). Janet used this image of butterfly milkweed and a monarch butterfly to illustrate her article on butterfly plants. Please keep in mind that the usual copyright terms apply to this image since it is from someone not employed by UBC Botanical Garden. Thank you, Janet!
As mentioned in a previous entry, milkweeds are the exclusive food of monarch butterfly caterpillars. Toxins in the milkweed sap accumulate in the tissue of the caterpillar, rendering it (and the subsequent adult) poisonous and inedible to birds.
Asclepias tuberosa has two features that distinguish it from other milkweeds: 1) its sap is not milky, and 2) its leaves are alternately arranged, instead of opposite. The Shenandoah National Park in the US has an excellent factsheet on Asclepias tuberosa for more information.
On a final note, monarchs have been in the news and editorials recently regarding an international agreement to conserve monarch habitat. “Is the mighty monarch butterfly on its last wings?” is an editorial questioning the utility of the agreement in the face of other dangers to the monarch.
Photography resource link: The Making of a Fine Art Photograph, an article by Pete Myers for The Luminous Landscape web site. It examines the process and time spent in “digitally developing” an image for fine art after pressing the shutter.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:00 AM| Comments (4)
October 13, 2005
Zinnia haageana 'Old Mexico' and Autographa californica
Zinnia haageana 'Old Mexico' is an All-America Selections Winner from forty-three years ago –, a cultivar that has stood the test of time. Considering its performance in trials done by The Gardens at the University of Georgia, that decades-long popularity is no wonder. It has performed similarly well this year at UBC.
Autographa californica is the moth, commonly known as the alfalfa looper. The sickle-shaped white spot on the wing is an easy diagnostic feature.
The adult moth does no damage, while the caterpillar is rarely present in numbers large enough to have an economic impact on crops. In fact, the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program for cotton and loopers states: “Moderate populations of loopers may be more beneficial than harmful, as they support populations of natural enemies that also attack the more destructive bollworms, budworms, and beet armyworms.”. Similar statements are made on the site regarding loopers and other Californian crops such as lettuce, artichoke and tomatoes. Along with a suite of predators, alfalfa looper is also susceptible to a baculovirus.
Botany / conservation resource link: Botanic Gardens Conservation International “brings together the world’s botanic gardens to work for plant conservation through science, education and horticulture.”
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:18 AM| Comments (0)
September 3, 2005
Lupinus sulphureus subsp. kincaidii
(Quentin Cronk, Director of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research has kindly offered to guestblog today -- Daniel)
A crabspider (Misumena vatia) is here seen capturing a bumble bee (Bombus sp.) on the rare Kincaid's lupin (Lupinus sulphureus subsp. kincaidii) in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Kincaid's lupin is interesting as it is the host of the even rarer Fender's Blue Butterfly. The lower flowers of the Kincaid's lupin are turning brown. Surprisingly, this is natural pigmentation and not an indication that the flowers are dying. Another rare plant of the Willamette Valley, the thin-leaved peavine (Lathyrus holochlorus), has the same brown colour in the petals but both the function and the biochemical basis of this trait are unknown. Photographs of some of the Rare and Endangered Plants of the Willamette Valley are available online, thanks to the Institute for Applied Ecology. The Willamette Valley in Oregon is a fertile mosaic of drained farmland interspersed with remnant wetlands of immense nature conservation importance.
(I'm adding this part -- Daniel). Nature resource link: David Neiwert, a Seattle-based freelance journalist, has posted a written and photographic account of his recent experience with killer whales near Vancouver Island. A bit off-topic for this weblog, perhaps, but I can't help but share this fine piece of nature writing.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 5:45 AM| Comments (2)
August 24, 2005
Antheraea polyphemus
Updated September 30, 2005 at 10:22 pm: This entry was Botany Photo of the Day's contribution to the first-ever Circus of the Spineless, a monthly gathering of online essays and photographs about invertebrates.
The discovery of this caterpillar on a Nothofagus antarctica (southern beech) tree in the alpine garden yesterday provoked some excitement among the staff (and a comment that it has good taste in trees). Eight centimetres long and as thick as my forefinger, this caterpillar is the larval stage for the polyphemus moth (more, with distribution map). Leaves of deciduous hardwood trees and shrubs form the diet of this caterpillar. It has been observed that the caterpillar cuts the petiole of leaves it has skeletonized, so that (purportedly) no traces of its presence remain on the tree to alert predators.
Antheraea polyphemus belongs to the subfamily of moths known as the saturnids (Saturniidae), or giant silk moths. The Saturniidae, it can be argued, are the most striking of moths. Photographs of moths in this subfamily can be seen here: Saturniidae Moths from Thailand and the What's That Bug? gallery of saturnids.
Entomology / Botany resource link: Caterpillars of Pacific Northwest Forests and Woodlands. The life cycles of plants and insects are often intertwined, so knowledge of insects can give depth to understanding of plants; this link provides details on caterpillar morphology and ecology, as well as keys for identification.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:11 AM| Comments (21)
August 10, 2005
Salix sp.
“Pine-cone willow gall” is caused by a gall midge, Rhabdophaga strobiloides. This dipteran (related to flies and mosquitoes) deposits an egg in the developing terminal leaf buds of the willow in early spring. The larva releases a chemical which interferes with the typical leaf and branch development of the willow, instead causing the formation of this cone-like structure. The adult dipteran emerges the following spring, after having spent the winter in the gall.
Check out a few more photographs of pine-cone willow gall via the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium or read more about galls courtesy of the Michigan Entomological Society. Douglas Justice has also identified the phenomenon in the past on the garden's discussion forums.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:20 AM| Comments (5)
July 4, 2005
Populus tremuloides
I'm a fan of trembling aspen. Few plants can be said to make a memorable noise or movement, but the flutter of aspen leaves in a breeze is oft a subject of prose, including Shakespeare.
The culprit behind the designs on these leaves is another matter. I believe no one has yet written “An Ode to Phyllocnistis populiella”, the aspen serpentine leafminer. The larva of this moth will tunnel and eat its way through both the spongy mesophyll and the chlorophyll-dense palisade mesophyll of a leaf, leaving behind a whitened snake-like pattern bisected by a brown trail of excreta.
When there is a mass infestation of aspen serpentine leafminers, whole stands of trembling aspen will change from green to silver in appearance. This is what I observed in the area surrounding Merritt, British Columbia, a couple weekends ago, and I regret not getting a landscape shot of these “silver ghosts”. It was a phenomenon I'd never seen before.
However, it seems like I'll have more opportunities in the future. It has been anecdotally reported that mass infestations are on the increase, speculatively due to a rise in winter mean temperature (source: “Leafminer Impacts on Photosynthetic Ability of Populus tremuloides” (PDF), a research paper by Kaarle Strailey as part of coursework at Berkeley).
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:07 AM| Comments (13)
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Botany Photo of the Day and all associated images are licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.