I think you guys are getting spoiled with all these high-class photos every day. Perhaps you’re getting jaded? There are several unknown species to identify in the series of photos below.
First, from reader Michael Day:
I’ve attached some pictures I thought you might enjoy. The “main” picture in this set is of a caterpillar–I believe it is either a tomato or tobacco hornworm–in the genus. This particular one is heavily burdened with cocoons from a parasitoid wasp of some type. Interestingly, this caterpillar was on a beautyberry bush in the flower bed by our driveway here in Watkinsville, GA (very close to Athens, GA). I’ve included a photo of our beautyberry bushes in case you aren’t familiar with them (genus Callicarpa). They are a native Georgia plant and are a common in many yards around here.
Can readers identify the caterpillar and the parasitoid? The end of this grisly interaction is shown below.
As a bonus, I’ve included a photo of a black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) on butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) in our front flower bed.
THE AFTERMATH!
(Sept. 17): Earlier this month I sent you an email (“Parasitoids et al.”) that included a picture of a caterpillar (Manduca sp.) with numerous parasitoid wasp cocoons on its back. Well, just today (9/17/14) I noticed the remnants of the parasitized caterpillar were still hanging on the same leaf, and it’s obvious the wasps have emerged.
Here’s a reptile to identify, from non-biologist reader Robert Seidel.
It’s not exactly spot-the-reptile, but pretty close. This one was posing for me during a recent trip to Cyprus. Don’t ask me about species name and binominal, I’m only a geologist (the rock is plagiogranite, cutting the basalt of a sheated dike sequence). Maybe a reader can help.
Sorry about the quality. For compensation, you get a cat [Felis catus]. This belongs to someone from the residential we stayed at, and I was privileged to be her assigned petter each evening. And yes, she really is called Fluffy!
My d*g spooked this bull elk (Cervus canadensis) this morning. [JAC: This was a few days ago.]
They’re common here, but tend to be elusive, hiding in the reeds. I called this one out by playing its call on my iPhone. I photographed this one from a float tube in the creek. I’ve noticed that birds are less spooky when you approach in a float tube rather than on foot.
With its upturned tail like that, I guess that it is some species of wren. But the word “guess” is important!
Excellent photographs, all! I believe Stephen’s last bird is a young Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris. As it ages, the white superciliary line will become more distinct, and the black and white streaking on the mantle will become more extensive.
Correct.
Nice job, wrens are hard to photograph!
Jerry edited the post to include this, but I’ll repeat and expand if I may.
Marsh Wrens common here, but elusive, hiding in the reeds and tall grass. I called this one out by playing its call on my iPhone, and photographed it from a float tube in the creek with a 700mm lens. Birds are less spooky when you approach in a float tube rather than on foot — much less spooky. So many times I’ve been fishing in a float tube and watched a shot of a lifetime, but of course didn’t have my good gear.
It takes a degree of recklessness that I don’t have to take $14,000 worth of camera gear out in a float tube while my single focus is fishing.
The doomed caterpillar is, I believe, a tomato hornworm, a pest much loathed by all gardeners. Its avid companions are the larvae of a tiny beneficial insect called the braconid wasp.
Of course, any surviving tomato hornworms will become the magnificent Sphinx moths, one of our largest and most beautiful geometrids. So, killing the caterpillar on sight as most vegetable gardeners are wont to do, is a bad practice for aesthetic reasons. Some gardeners will move the hornworm to milkweeds, which it enjoys as much as it does tomatoes. The braconid wasp does provide an ecologically sound method of keeping the tomato hornworm under control.
the parasitic wasp is the brachonid wasp. I can’t tell whether the caterpiller is a tobacco or tomato hornworm they both show up in the same habitats – tomato plants for instance.
The bird may be either a marsh wren or possibly a carolina wren. We’d have to see the upper back to be sure.
tobacco and tomato hornworms are very similar and hard to tell apart. I will look…
ok, see below.
A wild stab in the dark: the lizard may be stellio cypriaca, or starred agama.
http://www.bayramgocmen.com/album/picture.php?/998/tags/94-famagusta_gazimagosa
That looks pretty good to me!
Thanks!
Caterpillar looks like Manduca rustica. Callicarpa is one of its food plants.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Manduca-rustica
Nice picture of the Callicarpa. I have photos of them from the Outer Banks in NC. Always fun to find because they are such a stunning color.
That seems to be it. I knew about the tomato and tobacco hornworm species, but this one is new to me.
Yeah, it didn’t look quite like the tomato works I’ve seen. The cool thing with horn worms is the make a clicking sound when disturbed.
The lizard is an Agama found on Cyprus.
Agama stellio, It is the only Agama found N of the Med. in Europe.
To ID the wren we need to know the continent 😉
Ok, with two matching opinions, that seems fixed now. Thanks!
Beautyberry is both beautiful and functional here in Virginia and the southeastern United States. The local mockingbirds devour every fruit on a beautyberry before changing their diet to a nearby winterberry.
The butterfly (3rd photo) is perhaps a spicebush swallotail (Papilio troilus). The black swallowtail has two rows of yellow spots on the forewing. P. trolius was very common in the woods where I grew up in N. Georgia.
Keep spoiling us with the magnificent photos PCC! They are the perfect morning wake-up and they fulfil (for me at least) the adage- you learn something new every day.
Thanks for the great photos today readers!
Seconded!
I first encountered tobacco hornworms a couple years ago, which must have come from eggs laid on some potted jalapeno plants purchased at the store (normally we start from seed), since they aren’t native to NJ. They eat the leaves and the peppers.
Last year, there were several more in the garden, most of which were loaded up with wasp eggs like in the picture above. All of those were moved to a single plant, to ensure the wasps would hatch and be around to take care of any more invaders.
Haven’t seen any this year.
A comment on the eagle photo:
This photograph shows the size difference between the male on the left and the female on the right. I call them Desi and Lucy, and I’ve been observing them for three breeding seasons. Desi is looking a little haggard.
Finally, a caption for the elk photo, stolen from a friend:
“Watch the sprinklers, bub.”
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