On the Basswood

Red-banded Leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea)

These pretty red and green plant bugs are only about 5mm long so they often go unnoticed even though they aren't terribly shy or uncommon.

Jagged-Ambush Bug (Genus Phymata)

I wish all my insect pictures were in focus like this. Jagged ambush bugs are cooperative subjects.

Japanese Beetle(Popillia japonica)

I didn't notice this guy had some friends with him when I took the picture

Banded Argiope(Argiope trifasciata)

There are very few orb-weaver spiders about. A couple of seasons ago the tall grass was full of them; this is only the second I've noticed this August. I wonder what has changed, or if it just goes in cycles.

I find the structure of this spider's web quite interesting; not only does it have the zig-zagged stabilimentum below it like the black-and-yellow garden spider, it also covers the central area of the web in a very fine, almost transparent, film of silk.

Sand Cherries

There were about a dozen sand cherry bushes planted in 2009. They are poorly chosen for the location as Sand Cherries prefer a sandy or rocky location. They suffer from browsing on by the meadow voles and because they are a low bush, they have a hard time competing against the grasses and vetches. the plants have survived but have not prospered. This is the first year with a significant berry crop. The berries are actually not that bad; they are juicy and sweet, although a bit tart. There are recipes on-line for sand cherry jelly.

The Japanese beetles are pretty bad this year. They particularly like to attack basswood and grape vines where they skeletonize the leaves. The above picture is the first time I've noticed them attacking sand cherries.

Japanese Beetle

A group of Japanese Beetles on a Glossy Buckthorn. Both the plant and the insects are invasive species. The Japanese Beetles are a large slow beetle that like to hang out in groups on the top of leaves. They spend their grub stage in lawns eating grass roots but here you see them too busy mating to care about predators. They must not taste very good to birds as they are easily spotted with their shiny armour and their habit of hanging out on the top of a leaf in broad daylight munching away. Here you see the lace like evidence of them eating the leaves of the bush. They are a bit of a generalist in what they eat but I have noticed them to be fond of raspberries.

A late summer field

Well the goldenrod is out with a few clumps planting their yellow flags in the square. The yarrow and trefoil are still in bloom with the occasional fleabane, and purple vetch still out. The grass has mostly toppled over to form a messy mat over which you can walk. The insect life has grown numerous with plenty of truly large yellow and black orb spiders hanging out at the centre of their webs. The grasshoppers are quite large though not numerous. I saw yesterday a clump of large metalic japanese beetles mating all over a rasberry bush. There is a wasps nest in the square. The wasps are living in the ground and the only evidence of their nest is a small patch of disturbed earth in front of their wasp sized hole in the ground. The wasps were entering the hole every couple of seconds so it must be a fairly large colony.

As for mammal predators, I have seen a couple of different cats hanging out in the area in the past week. I didn't see any active hunting but one was spending time in the tall grass of the square. Yesterday I also saw a young coyote less than a kilometer away at the intersection of huntclub and woodroffe, it was broad daylight and he didn't seem to mind too much being watched. He eventually lopped away down the road.