Japanese Knotweed

Posted on November 22, 2015 by admin

Japanese Knotweed leaves and flowers with Monarch Butterfly

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) also called (Polygonum cuspidatum) is identified by its jointed stem, with a whitish bloom, that can be 20mm (3/4 inch) in diameter. Large, alternate leaves, with pointed tips are also distinctive. Its flowers are white and normally held upright in short inflorescences. The seeds are three parted and thankfully not all of them are fertile.

Japanese Knotweed flowers and seeds

Japanese Knotweed

This plant has a hollow stem and is also called Michigan-Bamboo. It grows up to three meters tall (10-feet) and forms a dense monoculture. I have seen colonies that cover several acres. It can spread by seed or grow from sections of the stem or roots. It is impossible to dig out a large colony because even a small section of root re-sprouts.

Japanese Knotweed in field

In central lower Michigan it is called bee-plant. I saw a large colony of it with numerous bees and wasps feeding on it. Eight Monarch butterflies nectared there. However, its period of nectar production is short and many native plants are better nectar sources. The DNR is correct in prohibiting the importing or sale of this plant. It should be destroyed wherever it is found. This is primarily an identification blog but information on the control of this species can be found on the DNR’s website.

Japanese Knotweed

Japanese Knotweed was first recorded in the wild in Michigan in 1919. It is now found throughout the state. I have started to see it in central lower Michigan were it previously was absent. It is becoming common in all parts of the state and will prove to be a serious pest that is difficult to control.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

Michigan’s Two Poison Ivy Species

Posted on November 4, 2015 by admin

Eastern Poison Ivy

Western Poison Ivy: left side shows a toothless form. The black dots are dried droplets of urushiol oil. It is milky white when fresh but dries black.

There are two species of Poison Ivy in Michigan. Both species of Poison Ivy have leaves with three leaflets that are notched with large teeth. The lateral leaflets are short stalked and the terminal leaflet has a longer stalk. The teeth are normally found on half of the leaflet, the half closest to the tip. The alternate (singly along the stem) leaves are smooth above, normally shiny and normally they are larger than the leaves of other three leaflet plants. Poison Ivy fruit is a whitish-grayish drupe. (A drupe is a fleshy fruit encasing a seed, for example a cherry or peach). Birds and deer eat the fruit and disperse the seeds.

Eastern Poison Ivy

Western Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy in the winter is recognized by its hairy, grayish, lateral buds with half-rounded or shield shaped leaf scars. There are no stipule scars. The terminal buds end in an abrupt point. Twigs are normally gray but can also have a reddish (or even a greenish) tint. The twigs have many lenticels (dots on twigs) and their pattern is distinct but difficult to describe. If it is Eastern Poison Ivy then it will normally climb and have aerial rootlets without tendrils. The urushiol oil is present in all parts of the plant including the bark and buds so you are not safe from poison ivy in the winter. See blog post for winter twig terminology.

Poison Ivy is in the Anacardiaceae (Cashew or Sumac family). Most of the family’s 800 species are tropical. They include the Cashew, Pistachio, and Mango. Eight species grow wild in Michigan, seven are native.

Although nothing controls common names, the name Poison Oak is best used for species that do not occur in Michigan. Western or Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) occurs along the west coast of the United States. Atlantic poison oak (Toxicodendron pubescens) grows in the southeastern United States.

Eastern Poison Ivy

Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), in Michigan, is found mainly south of West Branch. It is a vine that can creep along the ground or climb trees. I have seen branches over three feet (1m) long sticking out from the climbing vine, giving the appearance of a Poison Ivy tree. Sometimes, if it lacks a support, it will form a small shrub. It grows in swamp-forests, floodplains, upland woods, and gardens.

Eastern Poison Ivy, according to William Gillis, “Is distributed from southern Canada to western Guatemala, the eastern third of the United States and throughout Mexico, on Bermuda, and in the western Bahamas, in Japan, western and central China and Taiwan, the Kurile Islands and Sakhalin of the U.S.S.R.” He recognized nine subspecies with the Michigan plants belonging to the subspecies negundo. Negundo refers to Box-elder (Acer negundo) which this plant resembles. (See blog post.)

Eastern Poison Ivy

Eastern Poison Ivy has petioles (leaf stalks) with fine hairs and they are normally shorter than the leafblade is long. Leaflets are flat and narrower than Western Poison Ivy. Normally they are longer than they are wide. Its fruits are smaller than Western Poison Ivy and tend to be grayish-white. Flowering and fruiting clusters hang and normally have 25 or more flowers or fruits in each cluster.

Western Poison Ivy

Western Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) grows north of the Saginaw-Muskegon line but does occur along most of Lake Michigan’s coastline. It is a small woody plant without aerial rootlets so it never climbs. Its petioles (leaf stalks) are glabrous and they are normally longer than Eastern Poison Ivy. Leaflets are cupped and broad, close to as long as they are wide. Its fruits are larger than Eastern Poison Ivy and tend to be whiter. Flowering and fruiting clusters are held upright and seldom droop. They contain few flowers, normally less than 20 in each cluster. It grows in sand dunes, along railroads, on road shoulders, and edges of woods. It is found in sand or gravel. Eastern Poison Ivy is normally in richer soil.

Western Poison Ivy

Hybrids between Eastern and Western Poison Ivy are known and occur along the band where the two species overlap. They are intermediate between the two species.

The two species are normally quite distinct. However, please note the number of times I wrote “normally” when contrasting these two species. Look at a number of characters before deciding which species you are dealing with. I posted this more to illustrate the range of variation in Poison Ivy in Michigan and to explain why it looks different in the northern or southern parts of the state. Caution: These remarks concern Poison Ivy in Michigan, the species vary more outside of the state. Once again, if in doubt, don’t touch it.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

Poison Ivy Lookalikes

Posted on October 20, 2015 by admin

Eastern Poison Ivy

Recently, I was shown three photos of plants that a person thought were Poison Ivy. Only one was correctly identified. I searched Google Images for Poison Ivy and found several other species that resemble it. The old adage “leaflets three let it be” will keep you away from Poison Ivy and many harmless species.

Western Poison Ivy

There are two species of Poison Ivy in Michigan. Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is found mainly south of the Saginaw-Muskegon line. It is a vine that can creep along the ground or climb trees. It is one of two natives that have aerial rootlets. (The other is Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) ). Western Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) grows north of the Saginaw-Muskegon line. It is a small woody plant without aerial rootlets so it never climbs. Both species of Poison Ivy have leaves with three leaflets that are notched with large teeth. The teeth are normally found on half of the leaflet, the half closest to the tip. The alternate (singly along the stem) leaves are smooth above and normally shiny.

Boxelder

Boxelder (Acer negundo) has opposite leaves (leaves in pairs on stem). Its twigs often have a bluish bloom and it is never a vine. Normally its leaves have finer teeth than Poison Ivy. Last weekend, I was at Tawas Point State Park and set up to photograph what I thought was Western Poison Ivy only to discover that it was a Boxelder.

Dewberry and Raspberry (Rubus)

Bramble, Raspberry, and Blackberry (Rubus) often have prickles along the stem. They also might have leaflets with pronounced points. Their leaflet edges are uniformly toothed with fine teeth.

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) has five leaflets not three. It will have aerial rootlets such as Eastern Poison Ivy. If you find it in fruit its berries are purple and not grayish-white like Poison Ivy

Hog Peanut

Hog Peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata) has three leaflets but they are untoothed. It rarely climbs trees and has a finer stem then Poison Ivy.

Common Strawberry

Common Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) has blunt leaflets with their teeth uniformly spaced. Their leaf stems are furry and they never creep like Poison Ivy vines do.

Fragrant Sumac

Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica) leaves have numerous blunt teeth and small lobes on their edges. Catkins, or buds of catkins, often appear at the ends of the stems.

The best time to learn the lookalikes is when they are flowering or fruiting. Study their leaves and the leaves of Poison Ivy. If in doubt, don’t touch it.

Thanks to Jason for inspiring this blog.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

Good Garden Bugs: A Review

Posted on October 9, 2015 by admin

Good Garden Bugs: Everything you need to know about beneficial predatory insects is a new guide by Mary Gardiner. But, it is more than a guide to identifying and attracting beneficial insects. It also explains the life cycles and unique behaviors of these insects. Although this is not a gardening blog I wanted to call attention to this book because it meets the purpose of this blog which is to get people out and looking at nature.

Wasp Mantid Fly

This book is packed with useful information. The photographs are excellent and aid in identification. Most are taken from the website bugguide.net. I have mentioned this site in previous blog posts and use it all the time. Many of the species are illustrated at different stages of their life cycle. Some life cycles are shown with line drawings. The section on extrafloral nectaries is fascinating. Extrafloral nectaries are “glands found on leaf surfaces and margins, petioles, leaf and flower bracts, and sepals that provide nourishment to natural enemies”. I need to study these more. Another section shows how to build a bee or wasp hotel to provide shelter and nesting areas for these beneficial insects.

Lacewing larva covered with parts of prey and sand

The insects selected for the guide include most of the common insect species and a few interesting but rarer species such as the mantis fly. Using this guide I identified an insect that I photographed two years ago. It is a Lacewing larva. The feather-legged fly is listed (see blog post). A concise introduction to the wasps helped me to sort out that group. A chapter is devoted to insects of the water garden. Spiders, Predatory Mites, Pseudoscorpions, Scorpions, and Centipedes are also included. Bees and Bumblebees are not included because, while they are beneficial insects, they are not predatory.

The author grew up in Michigan and is currently an associate professor in the department of entomology at Ohio State University. This guide is written with the layperson in mind and is accurate without being overly technical. My only complaint is that the scientific names used in this book are not indexed. This guide should prove useful throughout Michigan. Look for it at your local library.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

My Backyard Insects

Posted on September 22, 2015 by admin

Even after living twenty plus years in our house Nature continues to delight and surprise me. I often observe new insects visiting our yard in Southeastern Michigan. Sometimes they are old friends dropping by for a first visit and sometimes they are complete unknowns. Our yard is planted with insect attracting plants. Crocus (Crocus sp.) and Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) in the spring, Catmint (Nepeta sp.), Borage (Borago officinalis), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum), Spearmint (Mentha spicata), and Milkweed (Asclepias sp.) in the summer. Goldenrod (Solidago sp.), Asters, and Seven-son Shrub (Heptacodium miconioides) in the autumn. We use no pesticides. To make people more aware of what they can find in their own yards we have a talk titled “Insects in your (or at least our) Backyard.” Too many people kill the beneficial insects by broadly applying chemicals.

Hummingbird Moths are day flying moths that look as if they are small Hummingbirds. I often see photos or videos posted on line of “baby hummingbirds.” When Hummingbirds leave the nest they are the same size as the adults. Some species of Hummingbird Moths are reported to beat their wings at over 70 times a second. They visit flowers, feeding on nectar. These fast moving insects are a challenge to photograph.

Nessus Sphinx Moth

Nessus Sphinx Moth (Amphion floridensis) visited our Catmint earlier this summer. Its body is Chocolate-brown with rusty patches. A yellow stripe above the eye and two yellow bands on the body are characteristics of this species. The end of the abdomen resembles a lobster’s tail. The insect is only an inch (2.5cm) long.

Another Hummingbird Moth to visit my yard is the Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe). It flies to a flower, quickly feeds, and then speeds on. In order to get its picture I had to predict (or guess) which flower it would visit and focus on that flower. Given the large number of missed shots, I’m glad I no longer use film. Its wings are see through with the edges lined in brown. The one pictured is an older, worn, moth.

Hummingbird Clearwing – L Mydas Fly – R

Another new visitor (or just noticed visitor) is the Mydas Fly (Mydas clavatus). At first glance I thought it was a wasp but, at an inch (25mm) long, it is one of our largest flies. Their abdomens are black with an orange band. The specific name “clavatus” means club-shaped and refers to the distinctive flattened antennae segment of this species.

Eastern Carpenter Bee

Often mistaken for a Bumblebee, the Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) is an important pollinator in our garden. Their smooth, shiny, abdomens distinguish them from the hairy abdomened Bumblebees. Carpenter Bees nest in tunnels that they excavate in soft wood. These tunnels are 3/8 inch (9.5mm) in diameter and eight or more inches (200+mm) deep. They look as if someone has drilled perfectly round holes into a log.

Grass-carrying Wasp

Another pollinator in our garden is the Grass-carrying Wasp (Isodontia mexicana). It is one of the thread waisted wasps, ¾ inch (19mm) long, with see-through reddish-brown wings. Its body has whitish hairs. It nests in existing cavities, sometimes using abandoned Carpenter Bee holes. The female lines the nesting cavity with blades of grass. I am always surprised to see one of these wasps flying through the air trailing a long blade of grass behind them. These species will lay several eggs in the same cavity, using plugs of grass to divide the cavity into sections, each section receiving one egg.

Trichopoda Flies

While watching Grass-carrying Wasps feed on Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) I observed orange abdomened flies that I had never seen before. These turned out to be Trichopoda Flies (Trichopoda pennipes). About the size of a House Fly, they have smooth, orange abdomens, solid colored in the males and black tipped in the females. Their wings are black except for a clear strip along the rear edge. They are one of the feather flies so named for the feather or comb-like structure on the hind legs.

These flies are parasitic on Stink Bugs and Squash Bugs and have been imported from the United States into Europe as a Squash Bug controller. The female fly lays her eggs on the back of a bug. The eggs hatch and the larva bore into the bug and feed upon it. When they reach maturity, they emerge from the bug and pupate in the ground. The adults hatch and the cycle begins again. I am not sure how effective this control is because the bug continues to feed and do damage to the plants long after the eggs hatch.

I never know what I’m going to see in my yard. It is fun just to grab my camera and spend a few minutes looking at what is passing through the yard. Nature surrounds us and I don’t need to travel to a distant woods or meadow to see something new.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

Spots on Maple Leaves

Posted on September 17, 2015 by admin

Silver Maple leaves with Tar Spot

Several people have shown me maple leaves with quarter to three-quarter inch (5 to 20mm) diameter black spots. They are caused by a fungus Rhytisma acerinum aptly named Maple Tar Spot. They occur commonly on Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). However, they can infect all of our native and introduced maple species.

Silver Maple – L Norway Maple – R Leaves showing Tar Spot

Maple Tar Spot is becoming common in southeastern Michigan. A Michigan State University Diagnostic Facts publication from 2011 states, “Historically, significant outbreaks of tar spot occur infrequently. In Michigan, however, we have seen severely infected trees for the last three years.” This trend is continuing. Individual trees are sometimes infected for a single year.

Stomata are produced on the surface of the spots and release spores into the air. Maple Tar Spot does no real harm to the tree. It overwinters on fallen leaves so raking and removing these leaves will help to control the infection.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

Rudbeckia Insect Gall

Posted on August 25, 2015 by admin

Green-headed Coneflower

Green-headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) also goes by the common names Tall Coneflower, or Yellow Coneflower, or Cut-leaf Coneflower. It is commonly seen in the wild and also in so called “prairie plantings.” It is tall, sometimes reaching 10 feet (2.5m) in height, with yellow disk and ray flowers. The ray flowers are not reflexed. It has a smooth stem and pointed leaf tips.

Green-headed Coneflower flowerheads deformed by Asphondylia rudbeckiaeconspicua

More Asphondylia rudbeckiaeconspicua galls on Green-headed Coneflower

A naturalist friend of mine recently brought me a few galls from her garden in Royal Oak that developed on her Green-headed Coneflowers. It proved to be Asphondylia rudbeckiaeconspicua, one of the Gall Midges. Bugguide.net only had records from Iowa and Virginia. I submitted photos for Michigan. The blog, Field Biology in Southeastern Ohio has an Ohio record. iNaturlist.org has records from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania being the type location (the place that the original specimens came from). Wong et al lists it from southern Manitoba.

Closeup of gall larva and sectioned Asphondylia rudbeckiaeconspicua gall along with another affected flower.

I’m wondering if this gall is common but overlooked in Michigan. I have checked eight colonies in Michigan without finding any additional galls. This is the only gall I have ever seen on the genus Rudbeckia. If you find this gall you can submit your photos to bugguide.net.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

Indian-pipe: Michigan’s Ghost Plant

Posted on August 11, 2015 by admin

Indian-pipe

Recently, in Tenhave Woods, located in the city of Royal Oak, I was shown a colony of Indian-pipe (Monotropa uniflora). For over 40 years I have been studying these woods and this is the first time I have seen Indian Pipe there. I believe it is a recent colonizer. This is a nice group of several hundred plants.

I have marked the location of flowering plants in a colony of Indian-pipe near Grayling. The plants seldom appear in the same spot from year to year but new clumps come up several yards [meters] away. Some years the plants do not appear above ground at all.

Indian-pipe

Because Indian-pipe does not require sunlight to produce its food it can grow in dark places on the forest floor. This flowering plant is often mistaken for a fungus because it lacks green leaves. When you see a cluster of these pure white plants in a shaft of sunlight they appear to glow, granting the plants an ethereal quality. Locally this plant is called Ghost Plant.

Indian-pipe plants are 4 to 6 inches [10 to 15cm] tall with a single hanging flower. Flowers hang downward but straighten up and point skyward after pollination. Soon after the plant is pollinated, it begins to turn black, giving it another common name of Corpse Plant. Dried seed capsules will sometimes persist through the winter.

Indian-pipe after pollination

Lacking chlorophyll, Indian-pipe gets its nutrients by parasitizing different fungi, taking food from but not giving anything to the host fungi. The host fungi attaches to the roots of living trees and takes nourishment from the tree but also gives back nutrients in a saprophytic relationship. This complex relationship between Indian-pipe, fungus, and tree might best be termed symbiotic.

Indian-pipe is currently placed in the Heath Family (Ericaceae) but it has been placed in the Shinleaf or Wintergreen Family (Pyrolaceae) or in the Indian-pipe Family (Monotropaceae). Where it is placed depends on your definition of what a plant family is. Recognizing the broad Heath Family is the best given the latest DNA evidence. You can recognize Pyroloideae as a subfamily of Ericaceae if you wish.

Pinesap

Pinesap (Hypopitys monotropa) is similar to Indian-pipe and at one time was placed in the same genus as Monotropa hypopithys. It is also a leafless flowering plant. It has multiple flowers on a stem and is cream colored or even reddish but never pure white. Its individual flowers are smaller than the flowers of Indian-pipe.

Pinesap after flowering and in winter

Indian-pipe has a long flowering season. I have seen it in bloom from June through the end of September. Go out and look for it.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

Pale Swallow-wort: Another Invasive to Watch Out For

Posted on July 14, 2015 by admin

Pale Swallow-wort

Pale Swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum) also called European Swallow-wort or Dog-strangling Vine is an invasive species moving into southern Michigan. Dr. Reznicek writes, “East of Michigan, this species has become a terrible invasive; it should be stamped out wherever observed.” It was first recorded from Michigan in 1968 from Berrien County.

Pale Swallow-wort showing leaves and seedpods

It is a vine in the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae) that includes our Milkweed species. When not flowering it resembles Bittersweet (Celastrus spp.) but can easily be distinguished by its opposite leaves (Bittersweet has alternate leaves). Flowers are five petaled with the petals longer than wide. Normally they are pale pink but burgundy or dark brown flowers occur. It has narrow, pointed pods resembling true Milkweeds (Asclepius spp.).

Pale Swallow-wort showing growth habit with opposite leaves and a closeup of flowers

Black Swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum nigrum) is another invasive similar to Pale Swallow-wort. Its petals are hairy on top and about as long as wide. It was first recorded from Michigan in the 1880s.

This aggressive plant will take over a field by choking out competing vegetation. It will out compete our native Milkweeds. This plant also impacts Monarch butterflies because it is toxic to Monarch larva. Monarchs will lay eggs on this species but they don’t survive to adulthood. Pale Swallow-wort appears to be allelopathic meaning that it alters the soil chemistry so seed from other species can’t germinate.

I’d like to thank John DeLisle from Natural Community Services for providing location information.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

A Visit to a Fen

Posted on July 1, 2015 by admin

Fens are fascinating. They are sedge peat areas with little, if any, standing water. Groundwater flows through a peat layer that is close to the surface. Less acid than a sphagnum bog, fens host a different community of plants and animals. Unfortunately, Glossy Buckthorn is invading many of our southeast Michigan fens. Recently we checked on a favorite fen, looking for invasive species. Thankfully, none were found but we had a reason to explore the fen for several hours.

Paintedhand Mudbug

Walking into the fen on a narrow trail Joyce came across a crayfish. It stood defiantly in the center of the trail, reared up on its tail, pincers waving, antennae flexing through the air. Joyce got her walking stick too close and the crayfish lunged at it. Joyce stepped over him and the crayfish spun to face me. I felt as if I was Tolkien’s Balrog facing a mini lobster Gandolf. “You cannot pass.” [Note: It is only in the movie that he says, “You shall not pass.”] As I stepped over him, he charged my boot. I looked back and he was still guarding his path.

Ninebark

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) flowered along the trail holding some of its flower clusters at shoulder height. Five-petaled flowers, lobed sepals united at their bases to form a calyx tube, and its many stamens tell me that this is a member of the Rose Family (Rosaceae). Half spherical clusters of white to pinkish flowers with petals dotted in black result in this being one of our showier native shrubs. Its exfoliating (separating into layers) bark is said to give rise to the common name although I have never seen one with nine layers. Another explanation is that it is a corruption of the German word “nein” meaning no. “No bark” better explains the look of this plant.

Showy Lady-slipper group with last years seed capsules L Closeup of flowers R

A Showy Lady-slipper (Cypripedium reginae) blossomed under a Ninebark. It is our largest native orchid and this plant stood 2 feet (.6m) tall. A pair of flowers topped the plant; one at its prime, emitting a faint vanilla scent, and the other fading. We saw approximately 150 plants. A few Lady-slippers were past flowering, 50 non-blooming, 50 flowering, and 40 in bud. It is a healthy population.

Alder-leaf Buckthorn

Alder-leaf Buckthorn showing fruit and flower

Our native Buckthorn, Alder-leaf Buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia) grew in two small colonies, one with three stems and the other with six. Alder-leaf Buckthorn seldom forms large stands and is not invasive like Glossy or European Buckthorn is. Toothed, strictly alternate leaves, with branches never tipped with spines, characterize Alder-leaf Buckthorn. This plant is seldom over 3 feet (1m) tall. I have seen plants cut and poisoned by over-zealous invasive species hunters. Anyone working to eradicate our invasive Buckthorns should learn to distinguish this native species.

Poison Sumac

Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) flowered in a low, wetter, section of the fen. Shiny leaflets, red petioles, and gray bark are characters of this tall shrub. Urushiol oil, the same oil as Poison Ivy has, is found in all parts of the plant and many people are allergic to it.

Fens are delicate environments and require monitoring for invasive threats. Monitoring provides a great excuse to spend a few hours poking around outdoors.

I later learned that Michigan has eight to ten species of crayfish and this one is a native named Paintedhand Mudbug (Cambarus polychromatus). Crayfish Ontario, part of the Bishops Mills Natural History Centre has a nice guide for Crayfish identification. Mael Glon from Ohio State University corrected an earlier misidentification of this crayfish. Checkout his Crayfishes of Michigan page. Thanks Mael.
Copyright 2015 by Donald Drife

Revised March 2018

Webpage Michigan Nature Guy
Follow MichiganNatureGuy on Facebook

The Michigan Nature Guy’s Blog

To get people looking at, enjoying, and understanding the natural world around them.

Author Archives: admin

Japanese Knotweed

Michigan’s Two Poison Ivy Species

Poison Ivy Lookalikes

Good Garden Bugs: A Review

My Backyard Insects

Spots on Maple Leaves

Rudbeckia Insect Gall

Indian-pipe: Michigan’s Ghost Plant

Pale Swallow-wort: Another Invasive to Watch Out For

A Visit to a Fen