Fireflies are lighting up the night sky, pelicans have returned to Patrick Marsh, and Eastern bluebird chicks are hatching in nest boxes near you. Summer is here, and there’s so much to experience outdoors right now (if you can handle the heat)! But if the high temperatures have kept you inside, let’s take a quick virtual tour of nature as it’s happening.
Bumblebee on flowering leadplant
With all the wildflowers in bloom, bumblebees are hard at work visiting each one to collect as much pollen as they can. In the photo above, you’ll notice two large pollen baskets attached to the bumblebee’s legs. The pollen is gathered from flowers and packed tightly into specialized structures on their hind legs called corbiculae, where it’s stored for later feeding. Sometimes, they even add a bit of nectar to help the pollen stick together.
Monarch caterpillar on milkweed
It’s also that time of year to check the undersides of milkweed plants! If you’re lucky, you might spot a brightly colored monarch caterpillar happily munching away. Their vivid colors serve as a warning to predators about their toxicity. Because monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed, which contains toxic sap, they become poisonous themselves. Those bright colors are nature’s way of saying, “Eat me, and you’ll regret it!”
My son holding a grumpy toad
While monarch caterpillars are generally safe from predators because of their toxicity, did you know that toads have evolved an immunity to the toxins found in monarchs? They can eat as many monarch caterpillars as they like without any ill effects.
Interestingly, toads themselves are actually poisonous. They store a milky white toxin called bufotoxin in glands on their skin, which can impact the heart and nervous system of predators that try to eat them. But it doesn’t stop there! Some species, like the Eastern hognose snake, have evolved to be immune to the toxin in toads. In fact, toads are their favorite meal.
All of this just goes to show how beautifully complex nature is, and how remarkably good it can be at figuring out ways to eat poisonous things!
Prickly pear cactus flower
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this photo of a blooming prickly pear cactus I came across recently. Unlike monarchs and toads, it isn’t poisonous, but you probably wouldn’t want to take a bite out of it either! While prickly pears are technically edible, I think I’ll keep my distance after seeing all those spines.
Finding cool things in nature is easy, you just need to get outside. I hope you take the time to explore, and I look forward to sharing another nature update with you next month.