Most nature lovers have enjoyed seeing bees and butterflies flying about and landing on a variety of flowers, including those found growing along roadsides. Such is the case along the road to our cottage on White Lake. In addition, we have observed a variety of other less commonly spotted creatures on a variety of blossoms along our roadside. We wanted to share pictures and tell you about of some of our more unique and interesting finds.
We regularly see goldenrod crab spiders on ox-eye daisy, goldenrod, and black-eyed Susan flowers during the summer. These small spiders, whose bodies can grow to one centimeter, usually have a white or yellow abdomen and legs, but are able to change colour over several days between white, yellow, or light green so they are better camouflaged. They are daytime ambush hunters and the ability to change colour to match the flower they are hunting on improves their hunting success. Unfortunately, they are not able to change their colour to purple so this individual on a spotted knapweed flower was easy to see and photograph.
Adult gray treefrogs, which have a mottled grey colouring and can grow to 6 centimeters in length, are the largest species of treefrog in Ontario. Juvenile gray treefrogs are green with a mottled grey stripe along their sides. We usually see juveniles sitting on the leaves and stems of deciduous shrubs, where they feed on insects, but they are difficult to spot because their colour blends in and they are small. This juvenile, however, although only one centimeter in length, was relatively easy to spot nestled into a cradle-like mass of joe-pie weed flowers.
Adult hairy flower scarab beetles feed on flower pollen and are most likely to be seen in June and July. This beetle, also commonly known as a flower chafer, can be found throughout North America. Adult beetles might be mistaken for bumble bees due to their oval body shape and black and yellow colouring. This adult, photographed on an ox-eye daisy, was one centimeter in length.
Meadowhawk dragonflies are members of the skimmer family, but are distinctive because their eyes touch on the top of their heads. Meadowhawk dragonflies are small and have clear wings. It is difficult to tell the different species apart. Typically, we spot these dragonflies sunning on large deciduous leaves or perched on tree leaves, branches, and substantial plants looking for their next flying insect meal. It was surprising to see a meadowhawk perched on a bladder campion flower which was barely able to carry the weight of this small, three-centimeter-long dragonfly.
Tussock moths are members of the tiger moth family. We know that we have several species of tussock moths at the cottage as we have been able to photograph larvae of several species that are easily identified because of their distinctive caterpillar stage. Unfortunately, the adult moths are difficult to differentiate, even by experts, as the moths are almost identical looking. Adults can grow to two and a half centimeters in length and typically feed on deciduous trees and shrubs. This individual, photographed on viper’s bugloss, is likely a banded tussock moth based on the turquoise and yellow dorsal stripes on its thorax.
Spotting these and other unique creatures on roadside flowers reminds us that if one takes a little time to look carefully one is more likely to see some interesting and unusual sights. The importance of stopping to ‘smell’ the flowers is common knowledge. We encourage everyone to do so but advise that before smelling look carefully to see if something else is already enjoying the flower.
We relied on six field guides in preparing this article: David Beadle & Seabrooke Leckie’s Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America; Ross D. MacCulloch’s The ROM Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario; Tom Murray’s Insects of New England and New York; Dennis Paulson’s Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East; Sarah Rose’s Spiders of North America; and, Larry Weber’s Spiders of the North Woods.
