From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: “The Fireflies Book” by Brett Otler

Book Review by Jean Flick

Get ready for summertime magic!  The Fireflies Book by Brett Otler provides a good introduction to the magic of fireflies, often called lightning bugs.  This delightful little book is available in the Nature Nook at HNWR.

The emphasis of the book is on enjoying fireflies, with lots of fun and interesting facts thrown in.  The biology and chemistry of how and why fireflies light up the summer sky are presented in easy-to-understand language.  Simple family projects are described, such as how to participate in firefly citizen science and how to compare the flashing patterns of common firefly species.  And, readers learn where to see the greatest synchronous firefly show in the U.S.

               

In Texas, fireflies may light the night sky from mid-April until October.   According to National Geographic, fireflies are actually winged beetles.  There are approximately 2,000 firefly species, and each subspecies has its own unique flashing pattern.

In The Fireflies Book, Otler seeks to remind us, above all, of the simple joy of gathering together on a warm summer evening, sharing in one of the most readily accessible spectacles of the natural world.  “The Fireflies Book” is suitable reading for older children to those of adult age who revel in childhood memories of chasing lightning bugs.

The Nature Nook is run by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR.  

Ladybug! Ladybug! Fly Away Home

Text and Photos by Laurie Sheppard

In many cultures, ladybugs are thought to bring good luck. In Sweden, a ladybug landing on a young lady’s hand means she will marry soon. In England, they are thought to be an omen of a good harvest. Some other cultures believe that if you kill a ladybug, then sadness and bad luck will follow you. As with many “old wives tales”, there’s a grain of truth to the myth, or at least a desire to lead behavior in a particular direction. Most farmers and home gardeners consider ladybugs a welcome visitor and something to be protected rather than exterminated.

Convergent Lady Beetle

Ladybugs are beneficial in gardens and agricultural fields. Rather than eating or damaging plants, they are carnivores that feast on plant pests like mealy bugs, mites, and aphids. This behavior may have even led to their common name. Legend says that during the Middle Ages, European crops were threatened by many plant-eating insect pests. Farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary to save their crops and soon after, they began seeing black-spotted red bugs doing battle with the other insects. The crops survived and as the legend spread, people began to refer to the helpful bugs as “our lady’s birds”. Over time, they became known as “ladybugs”, “ladybirds”, or “lady beetles”.

Seven-spotted Lady Beetle

Ladybugs are insects in the order Coleoptera (beetles). Like other insects, they have six legs, wings, a muscular thorax, and an abdomen, but most of these are tucked away under the ladybugs’ rigid coverings. The most visible of these coverings are the Elytra, on which you will find each ladybug’s typical colors. These are actually the ladybug’s forewings that have hardened to surround and protect the delicate hindwings. The elytra must be lifted to expose the hindwings so the ladybug can fly.

Seven-spotted Lady Beetle Lifting Elytra

There are several thousand different species of ladybugs worldwide; they inhabit most temperate or tropical climates. A few hundred species are found in North America, and several of those have been found at Hagerman NWR. Not all ladybugs are red with black spots, and not everything with the same general coloring is a ladybug.

Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (not a Lady Beetle)

Like butterflies, ladybugs undergo complete metamorphosis. An adult ladybug lays a cluster of 10-15 eggs on the underside of a leaf in an area where she has found aphids or other small plant-eating bugs. The eggs hatch into larvae that look similar to tiny caterpillars, but with six legs. Unlike butterflies, the larvae’s diet is the same as an adult ladybug’s.

Ladybug Larva

The larvae grow and shed their “skin” (exoskeleton) repeatedly until they are ready to pupate. After shedding for the last time, individual larvae are enclosed in a new covering, not unlike a chrysalis. Over the next few days, they complete the transformation into an adult ladybug. From egg to adult takes less than a month and an adult can live a year or more.

Pupating Lady Beetle

Ladybugs are generally harmless to people, although one group can be considered pests. Asian Lady Beetles are becoming more common in Grayson County and can be a mild nuisance in winter, when they find their way inside our homes. All ladybugs can release a nasty-smelling fluid when threatened but the Asian Lady Beetles are larger than other ladybugs in the area, so that fluid is more noticeable. These ladybugs can be recognized by their orange legs – other local ladybugs have black legs.

Asian Lady Beetle on Soapberry

If you want to find ladybugs at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, you need look no further than the Butterfly Garden, where they help us keep the host and nectar plants pest free. You can also find them anywhere wildflowers grow, busily climbing up and down stems and over and under leaves and blossoms. I particularly like Silliman Road and L Pad for finding ladybugs. They like warmer weather and will not fly if it is under 55 degrees. The colors on the head and the number and pattern of spots on the elytra are helpful in identifying which ladybug species you are looking at. Think small and enjoy your search! You have no idea what else you may find out there.

Polished Lady Beetle

Buttercups in Bloom

Have you ever gotten “butter” on your nose from a buttercup? Or as they are botanically named, Oenothera speciosa. Buttercups are also known as Pink evening primrose, Showy evening primrose, Mexican evening primrose, Showy primrose, Pink ladies, Pink buttercups, according to the Native Plant Information Network. 

From Wikipedia, we learned that although this plant is also frequently referred to as a buttercup, it is not a true buttercup (genus Ranunculus) or even in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.

Pink Evening Primrose at Hagerman NWR, by Kathy Whaley

The website for Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center goes on to say that while most primroses open in the evening, this plant, native over a widespread area from Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, opens in the evening in the northern range but in the morning in the southern range. They could also be called “dayflower” as each flower lasts only one day.

“Buttercups” are perennial; their blooms vary from palest pink, nearly white, to deep rich pinks. The flowers’ yellow pollen is the source of the “butter”. They will grow is a variety of soils but go dormant if the soil is too dry; in our area, you will note large masses of them where there are apparent low places in the fields and along roadsides.  

Pink Evening Primrose at Hagerman NWR, by H. S. Bert Garcia

You will also find a  showy yellow version in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, Oenothera macrocarpa, commonly known as Bigfruit evening-primrose, Missouri evening-primrose, Fluttermill, Big-fruit evening-primrose, Missouri Primrose (shown below).

Birds like the seeds from evening primroses and the flowers offer nectar to bees, moths, and butterflies.

NOTE:  Weather permitting there will be a Wildflower Tour of Hagerman NWR at 10 on Saturday, May 26!  Reserve a spot in the van (see sidebar of the webpage) or caravan along as we stop to enjoy various wildflower areas at the Refuge.

From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: Nat Geo Kids Everything Series

By Jean Flick

Richard Louv, in “Last Child in The Woods,” pleads the case for reconnecting children with nature.  He dubbed the term Nature Deficit Disorder to describe the “growing gap between children and nature.” In his later book, “The Nature Principle”, he asks the question, “What would our lives be like if our days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?”  Consider rephrasing that:  “What would our children's lives be like if their days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?”

A good starting point to spark interest and enthusiasm for the natural world in the minds of the children in your life is the “Nat Geo Kids Everything” series.    The “Everything” series invites kids into the world of nature through the use of fun facts and comparisons, and, of course, outstanding photography.  The unique “Explorer’s Corner” feature introduces readers to scientists such as ecologists (“Everything Birds of Prey”) and herpetologists (“Everything Reptile”) and offers a personal connection to the field work of these scientists as well as a glimpse into potential career opportunities.  Interactive glossaries keep young readers engaged all the way to the last page.

National Geographic has a well-established history of producing high-quality books, magazines, and documentaries about our world.  Their publications are noted for their scientific inquiry as well as their stunning photography.  Books published for children are of equal quality, designed to entice young readers to explore the many wonders of our natural world. 

The Nature Nook at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge offers Nat Geo Kids books for children with varying reading levels.   Pre-readers will enjoy “Slither Snake!” while books on bats, plants, butterflies, trees, and more are available for various reading levels.

In addition to the wide selection of children’s books available in the Nature Nook, HNWR provides robust programming designed to spark kids’ interest in the natural world that abounds on the refuge. FOH volunteers and refuge staff biologist Courtney Anderson engage children through The Refuge Rocks for Youth/Saturday programs, Spring Break activities, and multiple school field trips.

The Nature Nook is operated by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR.  Book review by Jean Flick.

May Plant of the Month - Prairie Verbena

By Sue Abernathy

Have you noticed a purple hue in the pastures or patches of vivid purple along the roadside as you are driving down country roads?

More than likely it is Prairie Verbena, Glandularia bipinnatifida, which is an early blooming native perennial. It is also known as Dakota Vervain, Purple Prairie Verbena, and Dakota Mock Vervain. It generally has purple, five petal clustered blooms, but the color can vary from a bluish purple to violet to pink.  The blooms set on top of stems with highly divided leaves.

Prairie Verbena is drought tolerant and highly deer resistant. This native perennial can be found from Northern Mexico north to Oklahoma and west to New Mexico and Arizona. It thrives in full sun in open pastures and grasslands, often covering acres of ground, but will also tolerate partial shade. It is a low growing, trailing plant that likes dry to medium moist sites and well-drained soils like sand, loam, clay, caliche, and limestone.

Prairie Verbena’s extended bloom time from March through October benefits both gardeners and pollinators. The blankets of purple flowers are an excellent nectar source for butterflies and bees.

It transplants easily from nursery stock or the pasture and can be started from seed and it is a great addition to any butterfly or pollinator garden.  It is widespread throughout the state of Texas and can also be found in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge along the slope, behind the bench in the smaller pergola.

Sources:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at http://www.wildflower.org

Native American Seed at http://www.seedsource.com

Photo credits – Sue Abernathy

NOTE: Sue Abernathy is both a Grayson CountyMaster Gardener and a Texas Master Naturalist, Bluestem chapter, and serves as a co-chair for the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman NWR and as a Garden Docent. "Plant of the Month" blogs are contributed by the Butterfly Garden Docents at HNWR.