7 observations

This spider used to guard my porch door from any bugs for a long time until my intoxicated roommate killed her. She was a yellow garden spider that my girlfriend had named velocity, which came to be her new pet. I found out that the zigzag in the middle of her web is called a stabilimentum which the purpose of is debated. Either for camouflage or to warn bigger animals about the presence of a web. Information from https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Yellow-Garden-Spider

Often referred to as a tomato hornworm I found these guys eating up my tomato plants at my house. I had been wondering why my tomato’s weren’t doing good until I found a couple of these guys on them. During my research I found that one of the natural ways to get rid of these guys is through the use of wasps. People have been using the trichogramma wasp and Cotesia congregata wasps as natural pest control. Information from https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Manduca-quinquemaculata

I found this species of fungus while doing my local nature report at lake bloomington. I found it on the edge of the Forrest with many other species of fungus eating decaying material. Doing some research I found that the faint puffball is edible. You want to cut it open to see if it is firm and still white in the middle. If it is brown or has gills disregard it immediately it is not edible. Also through my research I have reaffirmed my identification because the giant puffball fungus does not grow on trees or logs but grows on the ground. It mainly grows during late summer to early fall which is the time period I found it. https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/puffball-mushroom-identification.html

I was literally driving to school this morning. While I was stopped at a red light I looked to my right and saw this guy in someone’s yard. Although he is related to marmots through some research I found that marmots are more common in mountainous terrain. These guys like meadows and open fields to find food and they will eat almost anything. They also make complex burrows that each have their own bathroom chambers. Lastly I learned that they tend to start hibernation around this time of year which makes me think this guy was trying to fatten up before he goes into hibernation. http://www.havahart.com/groundhog-facts
P.S. I didn’t know until I put the location into the observation that I found the woodchuck on Wood St.

I found this on our trip to forest park when we were walking down to the bridge. I found out through some research that Virginia creeper can climb as high as 50 feet by grasping its support with its tendrils. I also found out that it’s leaves are comprised of five leaflets, which will turn a reddish-orange color for autumn. This plant gets confused with poison ivy a lot which makes people think it is poisonous. Some people are allergic to its sap which can give a rash, so don’t eat the berries either. https://www.thespruce.com/taxonomy-of-virginia-creeper-2132897