03 June, 2025
The second of our Polyphemus Moths (Antheraea polyphemus) made its debut on the world stage as an adult, and we were greatly satisfied to have played a part in its success.
It is spectacular by any definition.
It would never know that Miriam carefully sewed bags to envelop the leaves where it fed, moving it from one branch to another as the food was exhausted. Unlike some politicians, however, we don't need to be thanked for everything we do!
Robin Wall Kimmerer, in her gorgeous little book, The Serviceberry, writes eloquently about the gift economy, and reciprocity in the natural world. It's enough for us to be part of that.
04 June, 2025
While we are devotees of all of nature we would have preferred not to see the caterpillar of the Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis). In fact, we saw several of them. They are highly efficient (or destructive, depending on your point of view) and destroyed our hedge in just one season of ravenous feasting.
08 June, 2025
I think this is a species of Running Crab Spider (genus Philodromus).
They are so named because of their crab-like stance and their method of chasing prey on a variety of surfaces.
This individual may have been moulting.
18 June, 2025
Flowers were blooming nicely, so why not take a few pictures?
Here is a species of coneflower (genus Echinacea) before the rabbits chewed it to a nub.
Lantana (genus Lantana) has done well too.
Dotted Loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata) has found its way into the yard, unannounced and uninvited.
It is quite beautiful. but, like all loosestrifes is prone to rapid spread, so we'll have to keep an eye on it.
23 June, 2025
I suppose it was inevitable that once we discovered the larva of the Box Tree Moth we would find the adult form, too.
30 June, 2025
Harvestmen are distinct from conventional spiders; they lack venom and reproduce in a different fashion, males being possessed of an intromittent sex organ.
Golden Harvestman (Leiobunum flavum) may often be found wandering during the day or night. It does not build a web.
04 July, 2025
I am really not sure about this tiny moth. After forty-five minutes of research my best guess is that it is in the genus Argyresthia.
Don't bet the farm on that, though!
A White Speck Moth (Mythimna unipuncta) was an agreeable find.
Greenbottle Flies (genus Lucilia) are ubiquitous.
Not a great picture, but here is a Northern Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium mildei).
Over the years we have discovered this species more frequently in the house than outside.
06 July, 2025
Stored Grain Moth (Aglossa caprealis) is a very descriptive name, although it would find little grain in the suburbs of a southern Ontario city.
It has been recorded feeding on dead animals, however, and will feed on suet in bird feeders, scraps of bacon rind and the like.
12 July, 2025
Elegant Grass-Veneer (Microcrambus elegans) is quite a common moth.
We were thrilled to see a female Monarch (Danaus plexippus) exploring the Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and it makes a very attractive picture.
It's probably not a bad idea to close this post with a Monarch.
It doesn't get any better, does it?
Beautiful ❤️ nature photos, David.
ReplyDelete...Andy at "Eye Candy" called Monarchs, "Uncle Billes!"
ReplyDeleteI have some of that dotted loosestrife, and the Japanese beetles just love them. I saved the grape vine from them this year by picking them off, but the loosestrife right now is just bare stalks. THose polyphemus moths are quite beautiful. Congrats on getting any to be released. Isn't it great how much variety can be in one yard? And congrats to your daughter for having honey bees. I hope she gets lots of honey and has a great time learning all there is to learn about keeping a hive. It probably won't surprise you for me to say it's so interesting. Have a super new week.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think there’s a whole lot that Japanese Beetles don’t like! It’s a local fellow who maintains the hives at my daughter’s place, but she plans to ask him if she can help with them and will soon be drawn into the fascination of it all, I am sure.
DeleteSo much to see in one backyard! Spectacular photos as always! Thank you for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteOur backyard is not exceptional, Shari, but I suspect our eyes are a little more attuned to what is there.
DeleteNot a fan of insects except lady bugs...have never seen a running crab spider before.
ReplyDeleteYou don’t even like butterflies?
DeleteBeautiful series of photos, David.
ReplyDeleteThe monarch butterfly is my favorite this time.
Greetings Irma
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous collection of insects and beetles! So often overlooked (or seen as a nuisance), but which play such in important part in ecology! YAM xx
I get tears in my eyes when I see the Monarch butterfly, David. It is simply a work of art. With my cold climate I will probably never see it here, but who knows?
ReplyDeleteLantana is a very beautiful flower, and I think its name might be Lantana camara.
Hugs and kisses, Marit
We have two Monarch caterpillars in the house now, Marit. We found three eggs but one of them has not hatched.
DeleteYou are very lucky David. I wish I had them here too.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading this. The Polyphemus Moth is stunning, and it’s lovely to hear how much care went into helping it along. I also like the mix in your post — the beautiful flowers and butterflies, but also the less welcome visitors like the Box Tree Moth. Ending with the Monarch was perfect.
ReplyDeletePS: I reacted here to your comment about the wolf on my blog. By the way, about wolves, today on my way home from the forest I saw a woman cycling ahead of me wearing a life-size wolf print on her shirt. I liked it so much that I took a photo of her back. Who knows, maybe I’ll buy such a beautiful blouse for myself too!
Be sure to post a picture if you do.
DeleteWonderful pictures. Thank you for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteI learn so much from your posts. That is very cool of Miriam. Who would of thought to do that but her. I have seen a moth like this before and you are right they are so beautiful. Your photos are simply stunning. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMiriam appreciates your kind words.
DeleteHello David :)
ReplyDeleteYour efforts at successfully raising moths deserves praise. I know you don't seek it but you are doing a great job and I applaud you both. The cages look similar to my laundry
bags, the ones I use to separate my undies from the rest of the washing! These moths are spectacular, and the beautiful Monarch is splendiferous. amongst the flowers. I haven't seen one since my last Algarve trip.but remember the joy of photographing these regal beauties.Thank you for sharing your backyard finds .David
Hugs and kisses
Sonjia.
Backyard beauties indeed! Stunning photos!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photography and that moth! Wow, I may have seen one as a kid but not yet as an adult.
ReplyDeleteAmazing nature photos! The Polyphemus Moth is extraordinary. Gorgeous flowers too! So glad you finished off with the Monarch. I haven't been out as much and on the occasions that I have, not many butterflies were around. The last time was on a cloudy day so perhaps that is one of the reasons there weren't any about.
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos David and not much walking involved! Though I am guessing your garden is huge compared to ours here. Great selection of spiders. And I spy nail polish with the tiny moth!! It's a nice baby blue colour. Never seen a moth this tiny though. :-D
ReplyDeleteIt was a lilac nail polish to match Miriam’s dress for a wedding.
DeleteWonderful photos, as always. The second photo of the Box Tree Moth makes me smile. It has personality!
ReplyDeleteAnd a voracious appetite - well, its larvae do.
DeleteLovely post and photographs and that Monarch is magnificent.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Love the richness of your yard.
ReplyDeleteWe do, too, Sue.
DeleteWondrous, David. And good on Mariam for helping that little guy along. When we lived in the county, we had some moths that would rival butterflies for beauty.
ReplyDeleteThere are many, Sandra.
DeleteMy oldest granddaughter had collect a Monarch caterpillar and brought it along on our vacation feeding it milkweed leaves. It made its chrysalis and then the butterfly appeared on our second day there. It was enchanting to watch her release it to fly away. Arriving home there was another caterpillar on a butterfly weed plant (also a milkweed) and it has formed a chrysalis too.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to watch children experience this. It might even influence her career choice.
DeleteIt is always surprising how much you see in a backyard if you keep your eyes open, especially if that garden has a lot of native plants. They are magnets for insects and the birds will follow. The Polyphemus Moth is indeed exceptionally beautiful, I thought so at an earlier photo you showed. I have yet to see a Monarch in my garden - for the life of me I can't grow our native milkweed which really irks me. Fortunately there are a lot of other butterflies visiting here, but still... A big hug - Carola
ReplyDeleteAt least in terms of physical beauty, the monarch reigns over all other insects.
ReplyDeleteThe Polyphemous Moth is stunning, you must be very proud parents. I saw a Monarch yesterday, but have only seen three all summer. In a previous post I mentioned only seeing one male and one female humming bird, but now I have seen two females together, so I know there are more around.
ReplyDeleteHello David & Miriam! it's a beautiful august, there's a feast of life in your yard, from the majestic Polyphemus to the delicate Monarch, a true summer festival!
ReplyDeleteGros bisous dear friends o mine.
Little beautiful creatures in the backyard David & Cie !
ReplyDeleteIt's not necessary to go far away to appreciate wild life !
Have a great day !
Anna
Hi David - no closing the post with a Monarch was a great idea ... lovely to see. Love the moths - and so clever of you both nurturing the Polyphemous Moths - Gorgeous colours … great to have a cape made using that colourful design. The Box tree moth is a relatively recent invader with you and with us here … Running Crab Tree moth – appropriate name and on your red wall … and the others with some local flowers – all good to go. Thanks I enjoyed Miriam's photos – cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHello David, all cratures great and smal are amazing when watching them closer. But the Polyphemus Moth steals the show. The buxus moth was and is also in this part of the world a plague. Now the Black tits found them out as well and started to ad the caterpillars to their diet. That will help a bit.
ReplyDeleteTake care and enjoy the rest of the summer.
Warm regards,
Roos
Well, it's at least a good thing if the tits have more food for their young.
DeleteDaddy long legs or harvestmen don't make webs because they aren't spiders. I just learned that because I have what I thought were daddy long legs in my garage and they definitely do make webs. Turns out they are long legged spiders. And lantana is indestructible. We get moth web worms here and one year a couple of years ago the infestation was so bad that nearly every pecan tree on my street was completely defoliated.
ReplyDeletePeople also refer to Crane Flies as Daddy Long Legs, often confusing them with harvestmen.
DeleteA plethora of beauty, danger, vulnerability, and curiousness right out side your door. The Monarch photo, yes,a beautiful closure!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures..thanks Miriam...starting with that gorgeous Moth and ending with the always recognizable Monarch.
ReplyDeleteThe moth is gorgeous and nice work Miriam!
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures and informative text, as always. We like watching the Harvestmen scout the verandah screens, whenever we are out there.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful encounters, as always! That Polyphemus moth is astonishing. And how sad that you have also got the Box tree moth, it has spread rapidly here in Europe too :( the problem is, they feed on wild Buxus so many bushes have just died out. Regarding your flowers, which are lovely, I thought the Lantana would not like the cold weather in winter! Do you keep it inside during the coldest months? Thanks for sharing, David!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from hot Spain.
You are quite correct, Guillermo, Lantana does not agree with cold weather. Generally we buy new plants in the spring. Both our countries are suffering under oppressive heat with wildfires springing up and spreading everywhere. They start earlier and burn hotter and longer each year. The face of the future, I am afraid. Saludos desde Ontario - David
DeleteEvery one of these invertebrates is amazing. I love harvestmen. Sadly I don't see as many of them in my garden as I used to.
ReplyDeleteLysimachia punctata resembles some flowers from Europe.
ReplyDeleteI don't see many Monarchs these day:(
ReplyDeleteYou have one in Washington!
DeleteDear David,
ReplyDeleteThe Polyphemus moth is truly a feast for the eyes – and Miriam was so wonderfully caring. I’m sure the moth is grateful for that – but so am I, for every person who does something good for nature. (By the way, today I rescued a European ladybug 🐞 from a swimming pool. It then gratefully wiggled its wings 😉) Do you also rescue or pamper box tree moths and their caterpillars?
How lucky that you photographed the coneflower before it turned into rabbit food…
The monarch butterfly is indeed an absolute visual and emotional highlight – I think the photo of it on the butterfly milkweed deserves to be enlarged and hung on the wall 🤩🦋
All the best from Austria,
Traude
PS: Yes, Jamie was really proud that he got to collect the breakfast eggs! 😊
PPS: I’m sorry to read that Ontario is so dry at the moment. I checked the 21-day forecast… it seems rain might only arrive in early September 😝 Of all times!
We’ll have to whatever we can despite the weather!
DeleteHello David,
ReplyDeleteYour eye for nature is unique. I always thought I already noticed a lot of things and looked at everything, but with Miriam and you, that's great.
Regards, Frank
I would never have thought of sewing a bag to protect it, or the fact if I did it I was helping the world doing it. YAY! good job, beautiful post, miss you lots, just stopping by to say Hi, and see what you were doing. I saw the largest black racer in our weeds this past week, maybe as long as 6 feet, most are 2 to 4 feet long. I stepped back and said the way is clear slither on handsome... he was stunning weaving so quickly through the bright green of the weeds, they are only about 2 inches and broad leaves.. no photo.
ReplyDeleteWow, what butterflies. I would be very happy if I could see such beauty someday.
ReplyDeleteTodo maravilloso, me gusta. Muchos besos.
ReplyDelete