Restoring Bottomland Prairie: A Tale of Two Julys (2015 vs. 2016, Part 8)

New Things Under the Sun (of July 2016, that is)

Here are some singularities that stood out in July 2016:

New Acquaintances:

A Common Checkered Skipper.  Note that
a skipper has a stout body, like a moth, but holds
the wings vertically over the body, as do butterflies.
His antennae have clubbed ends--a feature that distinguishes
a butterfly from a moth.  Skipper butterflies often
have a slight curve or hook on their "clubs," as does
this one here.
Creek Field.  July 11, 2016.

1.)  On July 11, 2016, I was charmed by this gorgeous skipper--new to me--sitting atop a wild lettuce plant.   Irresistible!  Look at that fuzzy head!    

This lovely creature is the Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis).     As a caterpillar, this skipper feeds on plants in the Mallow family, from Purple Poppy Mallow to Velvetleaf Weed.  In the adult form, pictured here, he nectars on plants in the Sunflower family, such as wild lettuce!  

Thank goodness for the Creek Field.   It has what this skipper needs!
(Thank you to Ken Allison at bugguide.net for the identification.)

2.)  On July 21, 2016, I noticed tiny white moths fluttering in the American Plums along the driveway.   

Lomographa vestaliata
White Spring Moth
On American Plums in the Thicket
along the driveway.

They were startlingly beautiful, with shimmering, translucent wings--a shining array of satin & lace!



I had never seen these moths before.

These radiantly-clad insects were White Spring Moths, Lomographa vestaliata.   The larvae eat the leaves of Prunus shrubs, among other things, so perhaps the moths were laying eggs on the plums, Prunus americana.   

The next day these visitors were gone, taking their dazzling attire with them.    

Bugguide.net reports only two previous sightings of these moths in Kansas.  We are on the western edge of their range.  

 How lucky was I to be in the right place at the right time!

(Thank you to KSU insect diagnostician Eva Zurek for the identification!)

3.)  On July 28, 2016, I encountered the dense, whorled, club-like  flower-spike of Heal-all!   Jeff Hansen had identified this plant for me last winter from the brown seed-head alone.   So I looked for Heal-all  this July and found it blooming in the field-buffer, on the western edge of the Loop Path.  

Heal-All, Prunella vulgaris, Non-native Perennial.
Volunteer in the Field Buffer,
next to the Loop Path
July 28, 2016 

Heal-all is native to Europe (possibly other continents as well) but has long been naturalized in North America.   Native Americans learned to use it for a variety of medicinal purposes, joining people around the world who value this plant for its healing properties.   Another common name for this plant is Self-heal.

Heal-all was not in our seed mix, but it is most welcome!  It is also moist welcome:  It likes wet soils and stream banks, just what our bottomland provides.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if it could live up to its name?  The thought is lovely--but no lovelier than the plant itself.