The Forest Floor Fungi at the Frink Center

Late summer is upon us, the season when many fungus species produce their colorful and often peculiar fruiting bodies. Before moving on to the fungi let's take a moment to look at a couple of the Frink Center's amphibians.

We found not one but two Blue-spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) hiding in the moist soil and leaves under some old fallen trees. While this appears to be a Blue-spotted Salamander to the unaided eye, it's also possible that these are Jefferson Salamanders (Ambystoma jeffersonianum); the two species form a "complex", often interbreeding and producing polyploid hybrids to further confuse the amateur naturalist. In any event it seems that the Jefferson Salamander is considered a species at risk.

Despite its being common and having a broad distribution in North America, this is my first encounter with a Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) since taking up photography. This small amphibian's cryptic colors help conceal it against the background of dead leaves and branches on the forest floor.

On the other hand the colors of Waxcaps (Hygrocybe sp.) are anything but drab. I don't have enough experience with fungi to identify the species from these images. A good site for researching fungi is MushroomExpert.Com.

Another species of Hygrocybe; I'm going to hazard a guess at Yellow Waxcap (Hygrocybe flavescens).

Green Leptonias (Leptonia incana) add a touch of vibrant yellow-green to the woodland floor palette.

Fungi come in an endless variety of colors like this beautiful Two-colored Bolete (Boletus bicolor) ...

... and Red-banded Polypore (Fomitopsis pinicola).

Of course not all fungi live on or under the woodland floor as the title might suggest. Many are saprophytes and can be found growing on decaying trees or logs such as the Clitocybula ocula.

Working in tandem with bacteria, fungi recycle the constant rain of debris falling from the trees. Cellulose and lignin are extremely tough, bracket fungi such as Trametes pubescens break down such chemicals.

Most plants, indeed, the majority, have another even more vital relationship with fungi which live symbiotically on the host plant's roots. Called mycorrhizae ("fungus" + "roots"), the fungi help the tree absorb nutrients and receive food in exchange. And some fungi are neither benign nor beneficial from our perspective, parasitising living trees, crops, other fungi, just about anything alive including humans, having no regard for our position as the top predator on this planet.

Fungi come in all kinds of fascinating shapes, as this Crown-tipped Coral Fungus (Clavicorona pyxidata) illustrates.

The little orange balls on the log are Wolf's milk (Lycogala epidendrum), a species of slime mold. Slime molds are unusual organisms with an interesting life cycle and don't fit neatly into our system of classification ... are they protozoa (animals)? Plants? Fungi? None of the above?

Stemonitis axifera, another slime mold.

Regardless of how many times one walks the local woods and trails there's always something new to see and learn. These eye-catching Yellow Water Lily (Nuphar lutea) rhizomes resemble the fallen trunks of prehistoric tree ferns. I wonder how many years it took for them to attain this size?

The fruit of the Jack-in-the-Pulpit will turn bright red as it ripens.

And what might this be? Fungus? Slime Mold? Immature slugs or insect larvae? Working together these organisms had stripped one side of several oak leaves to the veins. These weird little things are the larvae of the Oak Sawfly (Caliroa sp.), a species of wasp.

Elinor, thanks for the company on this jaunt into the untamed wilderness and wetlands of the Frink Center. It was fun, as always.

Emeralds and Stars ... more photos from "the Fen"

The East Hungerford Road passes through the Stoco Fen, and on any warm, sunny day a dozen or more emeralds can be seen cruising high above the roadway and open spaces of the fen. The relatively short abdomens and hairy claspers are discernible even while the insects are in flight, identifying these dragonflies as Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii). Seldom encountered elsewhere in our area, Brush-tipped Emeralds appear to be quite common in the vicinity of the fen.

Although there were some victims of traffic laying on the road a photo of an animal in a more natural setting is preferable. But these dragonflies never seem to stop and rest and its difficult to capture an image of one in flight with a camera, so this male was first captured in flight with a net.

This was a good opportunity to acquire a closeup of the brilliant, almost luminous green eyes characteristic of many emerald species.

Dorsal and lateral views of the terminal abdominal segments.

This photo of leaves and flowerbuds was taken about three weeks ago. I was uncertain at the time but thought they looked like Marsh Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia glauca).

It seems that my surmise was correct. These are but the first couple of flowers to open, soon the fen will be filled with hundreds of Bog Stars.

Heads or Tails?

In spite of its psychedelic complexion and robust build this Promethea Moth (Callosamia promethea) proved difficult to spot amongst the foliage.

I've inserted my pinky finger in the picture to give an idea of the size of this insect, but it's scared and has hunched itself up somewhat, making it about ten centimeters shorter than its normal length ... about the same as my finger.

Chowing down on some yummy White Ash leaves ...

Note in the images above that the head has no bold colors or patterns, and the insect pulls it under its body when it feels threatened. Now consider these views with an emphasis on the posterior end. The terminal pro-legs or pseudopods are large, bear a black circular mark that suggests an eye, and are left in plain sight. (Pseudopod → "false foot" ... insects have only six legs, they are visible just behind the head in this photo).

Eyes can betray an animal's position to a potential predator, and many organisms sport bars or camouflage patterns to disguise them. By the same token, note how many butterflies, fish, etc., often sport fake eyespots on hindwings or tail fins. Are the eyespots targets to draw a strike to a non-vital area, or to make an otherwise innocuous species look threatening to a hungry hunter? Here's some thought-provoking reading: Why eyespots?.

And where, you say, is the "moth" in these photos? That lies in the future ... first, this caterpillar will overwinter as a pupa, and with luck this story will continue next year ...

The Orange-Humped Mapleworm Moth (Symmerista leucitys) adopts similar "false head" plan of action if it feels endangered. Although the head is a bold shade of orange the back end also bears prominently colored red and orange markings, and it holds its posterior the air with the last pair of prolegs splayed open. Everything about the caterpillar's posture suggests a head with antennae – at the non-vital backside of the insect.

The two appendages at the tail end of this Furcula Moth (not sure what species) larva also look very much like antennae.

The slow moving, soft-bodied larva of the larva of the White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis) makes a yummy morsel for a hungry bird. This caterpillar increases its chances of survival by not only being colored like ...

... but adopting the posture of, an inedible and not-so-tasty bird dropping.

Some species make themselves distasteful or toxic to minimise predation. The larva of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) ingests the toxins found in its food plant, the Common Milkweed. The caterpillar's bold yellow, white and black stripes advertise its unpalatability.

Presumably the Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) also toxic for the same reason, and hair or bristles can also be a deterrent to being captured and swallowed. But what's with the grouping? Are they mimicking a larger animal? Or is it a matter of safety in numbers like a flock of birds or a school of fish ... any single individual is less likely to be targeted?

Pics of Summer Flowers ... The Fields

There are about five hundered and fifty species of common wildflowers in Ontario. The images collected in this post, in fact, this entire blog, represent but a very small sample of what's out there in our fields, wetlands, forests and byways ...

Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata) is so named because of the fringe of hairs along its leafstalks. This common member of the Primrose family (Primulaceae) has a preference for wet places but may be found in drier areas along roads and trails.

Common Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) adds a splash of color to the greenery along the Eastern Ontario Trail. This flower belongs to the Evening Primrose family (Onagraceae).

This Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) was photographed near the Point.

An immigrant from Europe, Elecampane or Horse-heal (Inula helenium) has made itself right at home on this side of the pond.

Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) is another introduced species, in some areas this small member of the geranium family is considered a weed. These photos were taken at the Frink Center.

It seems that every year I encounter a couple or three flowers whose identity remains a mystery. Eight or ten of these small white flowers were found growing along the shore of the Moira River near the Point. They appear to be members of the family Asteraceae. The closest things I can find on the 'net are White Hawkweed and Desert Pincushion, but it hardly seems credible that these two species would be growing so far from their normal range and in what is virtually a wetland habitat. Unless they've escaped from someone's flower bed, or were planted here on purpose?

A denizen of damp domains, the Swamp Vervain (Verbena hastata) is more properly classified as a wetland plant.

On the other hand this small group of Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) was found growing in dry, packed soil in full sun along the Eastern Ontario Trail. The two species can be distinguished by the shape of their leaves and the terminus of the flower spikes.

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) is considered an invasive species (funny how introduced plants and animals which have little competition in a new environment have a way of quickly making a bad name for themselves ...). These specimens were growing along "the Trail" near Drag Lake.

Note the black tips on the bracts ... hence "Spotted" Knapweed.