UP Nature Notes (Blog)
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Butterfly Season - UP Nature Notes, No. 7
December 9, 2023
July is butterfly season! Along with Monarchs, the three species shown here are among the most common mid-summer butterflies in the Upper Peninsula. Each species has a different life cycle. Compton Tortoiseshells overwinter as adults in protected places like tree cavities or old buildings. White Admirals overwinter as caterpillars in…
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Dogbane and it’s Beetle - UP Nature Notes, No. 6
December 9, 2023
While checking for blueberries and sugarplums on the Sands Plains, I couldn’t help noticing the spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) in full flower. Dogbanes are toxic to many mammals, but the dogbane beetle (Chrysochus auratus) thrives on them.
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Spreading Dogbane
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Spreading Dogbane
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Dogbane Beetle
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Birds Eating Pests - UP Nature Notes, No. 5
December 9, 2023
All over the world, birds provide valuable ecosystem services by defending crops, such as grapes and coffee, from insects. In the Upper Peninsula, migratory songbirds help protect the forest from pests such as tent caterpillars. American goldfinches feed mostly on seeds, but in our homestead’s orchard they also forage for…