Pike’s Peak

Garden of the Gods

One messed up black squirrel

A red-tail in its nest…with an eagle’s nest above it. Obviously with big nests come lots of bird poop

And the red-tail leaving it’s nest.

Guess what I came across the other day while at work…a blister beetle (Meloe sp.). Blister beetles get their name from a chemical they produce called Cantharidin which is a highly toxic irritant that causes blistering (want to see a pic?). The compound, which is also found in a few other insects, has been used as an aphrodisiac in the past. Interestingly enough, the compound is also used in wart removal ointments. The beetles produce the compound as a defense mechanism. When disturbed they curl up and play dead and exude the chemical from their joints, this behavior is referred to as reflex bleeding.

Another cool fact about blister beetles is that the larvae crawl up on flowers and wait for solitary bees to come by so they can grab a hold of them and be transported by the bee back to the nest. Once back in the nest, the larvae feed on the eggs and larvae of the bees, as well as the pollen that is brought back. Once the beetle pupates, it crawls out of the nest and back into the soil to complete its life cycle and become an adult.

What’s not to like about this insect?

For those who don’t get to see fall colors…

This weekend we had some of our favorite friends come up for a visit. We checked out a couple waterfalls in the area.

The first we visited were the Chittenango Falls.

Then we made our way up north to the Salmon River Falls.

Normally when we come home the cat comes running to the door to greet us. This time, however, when we came home from the falls the cat wasn’t at the door to say hello. And wouldn’t come when we called him (another unusual thing). All four of us searched for a long time for the cat, turned the whole house upside down, searched outside…I thought he was gone.

Well, out of a last resort place to check I lifted the covers up off our bed, and what do you know…a little black ball of fur was curled up under all the blankets. He didn’t even flinch, which then made me think he was dead and had suffocated himself. Not so, I picked him up and he gave me this look like “what gives, lady?”

You wouldn’t be able to tell from the temperatures (in the 80s) we have been experiencing here in NY, but there are other signs of fall all around. Here are some photos from the week.

You can’t go anywhere around here without seeing signs for or hearing locals talk about the famous salmon fishing that takes place this month. Every October the salmon make their famous run up the rivers to spawn. Anglers from all over come to try and wrangle these big fish.

Late summer and early fall means stick insects are out and about mating, as are the couple in the photo below.

And lastly, this Northern Flicker was rustling in the leaves on the ground this morning outside our house.

Laura:

I have an interesting looking spider that has taken up residence on my front porch. I can’t seem to find any pictures that look like this one. The legs are not really spread out they are kinda like the St Andrews cross looking ones. I would love an answer as to what kind of spider this one is. Please reply…his days are numbered…he’s freakin my girls out…LOL.

Photo Credit: L. Orr.

Hello Laura,
Your resident spider, if he has survived your wrath, is a banded garden spider. They won’t harm you, so no worries for your girls.