Author: Betty Hall

Kids’ Caterpillar Weekend, Aug. 24 & 25 at Natural Bridge State Park

I’m excited about the Kids’ Caterpillar Weekend. Tyler Morgan is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about caterpillars, butterflies and moths, and I’m impressed with his agenda for the weekend. I also look forward to seeing Wayne Richards and Judy Burris again. I always enjoy their presentations, and their 3 books about butterflies and exploring nature are among my favorites. 

Please share this information with anyone who might be interested. Hope to see you there! Here are the details, or download a flyer (2MB PDF).

Natural Bridge Caterpillar weekend 2012

Natural Bridge State Resort Park would like to welcome nature lovers of all ages to our Kids’ Caterpillar Weekend on August 24-25! This event will provide a unique opportunity to discover the diverse world of caterpillars, moths, and butterflies – most within arm’s reach!

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Life and death in the backyard – cicada killer wasp

In my experiment with fermented insect bait, my greatest surprise has been the regular appearance of two cicada killer wasps (Sphecius speciosus). I’ve seen them in the backyard before, and they are always flying fast and low to the ground. It’s been a treat to see them up close on the feeder. Sphecius speciosus wasp

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Insect bait – an experiment in fermentation

Although there are some blooms in the garden, I haven’t been seeing many butterflies and I decided to try an experiment. I made bait using a ripe banana, brown sugar, molasses, beer, and overly-ripe peaches, and let it ferment. I put some bait in a hummingbird feeder and more on a strip of terrycloth, and hung them in the backyard.

Fermented insect feeders

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A new backyard insect

I’ve put out fermented bait (rotten fruit, etc.) to attract butterflies and moths. However, for the last three nights I’ve been surprised to find an ivory-marked beetle (Eburia quadrigeminata) that has come to feed. This is the first one I’ve ever seen and I think it’s quite handsome. It apparently doesn’t bite, although I didn’t test it.

Eburia quadrigeminata

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Cecropia moth and caterpillars

My friend, Amanda Cawby, noticed something unusual in the road one night. Not sure what it was but afraid it would be run over, she stopped to pick it up. To her surprise, it was a Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), another of our large silkworm moths. Cecropicas typically have a wingspan of 4-6 inches.

Hyalophora cecropia moth

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