A hodgepodge of natural history

Hi all, and long time, no see! I've been lax in updating this blog, which I normally do once or twice a week. A number of speaking gigs, the final throes of a book project, a few large photography projects and OTHER STUFF have kept me temporarily from my favored duties.

Anyway, here is a very random assortment of photographs that I have run across lately while researching projects, or subjects from fairly recently that I never posted. No story, no theme, just some cool stuff.

American Angle Shades caterpillar, Euplexia benesimilis, on Bulblet Fern, Cystopteris bulbosa, Highland County, Ohio, September 3, 2021.

An American Beech, Fagus grandifolia, towers over lesser trees in a Knox County, Ohio forest. Beech are hyper-productive plants, supporting all manner of wildlife. This large specimen is notable in that no one has carved their initials in the bark - beech are irresistible targets for tree vandals.

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar, Papilio glaucus, rests on a Tuliptree leaf. Liriodendron tulipifera is one of this species' major host plants. Adams County, September 7, 2015.

Daughmer Savanna, probably the best remaining oak savanna in Ohio. Most of our original prairie - 99%+ - has been converted to agricultural lands, or otherwise destroyed. This site is in Crawford County, Ohio, and I made this image on October 9, 2016. "Savanna" is the proper spelling for the plant community, at least in North America and most other regions. "Savannah" is a proper noun typically used as a name for a place or person, such as Savannah, Georgia.

A Dot-lined White, Artace cribarius, photographed in Highland County, Ohio, on June 26, 2021. Who said moths aren't cute?

Frost beards on a Honey Locust tree, Gleditsia triacanthos, in Knox County, Ohio, on November 5, 2021. It was 25 F when I made the photo early in the morning on one of the first truly chilly days of early winter.

The iconic Fallingwater house, perhaps architect Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous creation. Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, November 14, 2017.

A Master's Dart, Feltia herilis, peeks from a sea of Wrinkled-leaf Goldenrod flowers, Solidago rugosa. Delaware County, Ohio, August 30, 2020.

A Postman, Heliconius ssp., poses on artwork created by the glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. The butterfly is a higher art form, in my opinion. Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio, March 20, 2017.

The showy blue fruit of Silky Dogwood, Cornus amomum. Cedar Bog, Champaign County, Ohio, August 14, 2016.

Sweat Bees in the genus Lasioglossum seek nectar at Clasping-leaved Aster flowers, Symphyotrichum patens. Asters are a major nectar source for pollinators in fall. Scioto County, Ohio, October 30, 2016.

A Tricolored Bumblebee, Bombus ternarius, taps nectar from Sand Dune Willow, Salix cordata, on a Lake Michigan beach. Wilderness State Park, Michigan, May 25, 2014.