Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
The Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) is North America's largest native moth and a member of the Saturniidae family of Giant Silk Moths. I found the cocoon of this moth attached to a very thorny blackberry cane. I'm wondering if this might have been partly for protection as mice and squirrels will eat the pupae. I didn't have a lot of time so I took a couple of photos of it in place and then brought it into the house to photograph later. Instead of putting it into a rearing box I left it on a shelf next to the TV with some other things that needed photos taken.
Monday morning, Victoria Day in Canada, I remembered the cocoon and went to place it in a box - too late! Something caught my eye and there, hanging on a birch twig, was a beautiful female Cecropia Moth, slowly fanning her wings. When a moth, or butterfly, emerges their wings are small, wet and folded tightly around their body with more precision than a parachute in it's case. The insect must immediately start slowly beating them to pump fluids into them, expanding the wings for flight. This also helps dry the wings and strengthen their flight muscles for their next journey in life. This process takes several hours and when completed left this moth with a wing span of almost eight inches. She seemed to like having photos taken and we even did a little video.
That evening Chris and I took Victoria, named after the day, outside to release her. She wasn't excited and clung to Chris's finger like she knew what was happening. After several minutes she fluttered her wings, as if trying them out. Then she made an attempt! A short flight of about ten inches, landing on Chris's lip. Neither one seemed scared and Chris got her back on her finger after several minutes. Moments passed and finally another flutter of her wings and she let go of Chris, landing a few feet away on a post. We left her there and, after ten minutes or so, she flew off into the night in search of a mate, her life cycle nearly complete. Once she mates, she will lay up to a hundred eggs and die. Her job on Earth complete.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Ernie Hunter - White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
One of our better known deciduous trees, the White Ash (Fraxinus americana) stands tall. Up to eighty feet tall with a straight trunk measuring up to two feet in diameter. While the tree itself may or may not be easily recognized, the end result of some of the lumber from it will always be remembered. White ash is the primary source for baseball bats. It's straight grain, resilience and shock absorbency make it the wood of choice, not only for bats but tennis rackets, hockey sticks, polo mallets, oars and many other sports and playground equipment. A hardwood much sought after by anyone wanting a good quality, straight grained and easily worked wood.
White Ash is also used for shade trees. If it is not crowded it will grow tall and straight with a beautiful conical or rounded crown, providing shade in all directions. It will, however, cover everything with yellow pollen in early spring just before it's leaves open. This tree practices segregation as male flowers are on one tree and female ones on another. The male flowers, when viewed up close, resemble bunches of bananas in miniature. As they open, they disperse a yellow pollen that is carried, mostly, by the wind hopefully to other trees with female blossoms. When pollinated, the female flowers form keys similar to maples except the are in singles and not double keys. These winged keys are the seeds of the ash and are carried by the wind, if they're not eaten, to start new trees in new locations. They are however, a favourite food of squirrels, chipmunks, mice and many birds, and only a fraction of the thousands produced ever grow.
The bark on young trees is a smooth dark grey which becomes furrowed as it ages much like people, although we don't like to admit it! The leaves are opposite, pinnately compound with 7 to 9 ovate or elliptical, finely saw-toothed or almost smooth leaflets. These are dark green, sometimes with a purplish cast on the top and whitish green on the bottom. They turn purple or yellow in the fall.
The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilis planipennis), an invasive Asian species of beetle, has devastated thousands of ash trees. If an infested tree is found it should be cut and burned to try to limit the spread.
One of our better known deciduous trees, the White Ash (Fraxinus americana) stands tall. Up to eighty feet tall with a straight trunk measuring up to two feet in diameter. While the tree itself may or may not be easily recognized, the end result of some of the lumber from it will always be remembered. White ash is the primary source for baseball bats. It's straight grain, resilience and shock absorbency make it the wood of choice, not only for bats but tennis rackets, hockey sticks, polo mallets, oars and many other sports and playground equipment. A hardwood much sought after by anyone wanting a good quality, straight grained and easily worked wood.
White Ash is also used for shade trees. If it is not crowded it will grow tall and straight with a beautiful conical or rounded crown, providing shade in all directions. It will, however, cover everything with yellow pollen in early spring just before it's leaves open. This tree practices segregation as male flowers are on one tree and female ones on another. The male flowers, when viewed up close, resemble bunches of bananas in miniature. As they open, they disperse a yellow pollen that is carried, mostly, by the wind hopefully to other trees with female blossoms. When pollinated, the female flowers form keys similar to maples except the are in singles and not double keys. These winged keys are the seeds of the ash and are carried by the wind, if they're not eaten, to start new trees in new locations. They are however, a favourite food of squirrels, chipmunks, mice and many birds, and only a fraction of the thousands produced ever grow.
The bark on young trees is a smooth dark grey which becomes furrowed as it ages much like people, although we don't like to admit it! The leaves are opposite, pinnately compound with 7 to 9 ovate or elliptical, finely saw-toothed or almost smooth leaflets. These are dark green, sometimes with a purplish cast on the top and whitish green on the bottom. They turn purple or yellow in the fall.
The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilis planipennis), an invasive Asian species of beetle, has devastated thousands of ash trees. If an infested tree is found it should be cut and burned to try to limit the spread.
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