Photo: Winter Crane Fly, Judy Gallagher
During the pandemic we’ve had to cancel our regular wildlife surveys but some long-time participants are going out individually on an ad hoc basis to continue collecting data. Judy Gallagher is one of those folks who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species. Here are two observations from her most recent survey.
Insect life is a little hard to come by at this time of year, but if one looks carefully, there is still some to be found at Meadowood or nearby.
Have you recently seen tiny black dots bouncing around in moist leaf litter? If so, you may be seeing Springtails. Springtails were once considered to be part of class Insecta (insects), but were separated into a different class, partly because they have internal mouthparts as opposed to insects' external mouthparts. One of the more interesting body parts of Springtails is the furcula, an organ that in conjunction with another organ named the hamula allows the Springtail to spring away from predators. This is a Globular Springtail, only about 1 millimeter in length, on the top of the fold of an Oyster Mushroom.
Oyster Mushroom and Globular Springtail, Judy Gallagher
Winter Crane Flies are unusual for insects in that they survive the winter as active adults. They are seen most often on mild winter days and spend colder days in sheltered areas such as decaying logs or hollow trees. On a warm winter day, you may see a swarm of males bobbing up and down a few feet from the ground. The larvae eat decaying vegetation, but the adults don't eat much. Birds and bats eat Winter Crane Flies.
Winter Crane Fly, Judy Gallagher