Striders II

Dimpling the surface
of the silky smooth stream
with waterproof feet,
children love to watch you
"walk on the water."

Your long, spindly legs

stretch out in angles
way, way beyond
your narrow cylindrical body
held neatly above the surface.

You thrust yourself forward
making minor ripples
with your long middle legs
acting like oars,
yet you glide smooth and ripple-free.

Your hind legs
become rudders
when you need to steer,
sneaking silently
toward your target.

Your short front legs
are ready to snatch
unsuspecting prey that may
drift into the territory
you patrol with authority.

You are the Strider,
the efficient rider
on the H2O,
and the children say:
"Way to Go!"

© 2015 Richard Havenga

For an earlier, creative non-fiction version, see: Water Striders - June 19, 2012


Photo Locations:

Bear Creek - Townsend Park - Kent County, Michigan

Page Creek - Fallasburg Park - Kent County, Michigan

September Morning

Fresh, is this
September morning.
The welcomed coolness
condenses dew
on all things green.

The afternoon hours
are warmed by the sun,
and a red dragonfly
lands on my notebook—

tilts his head twice,
wants me to write about 
the pulsing, 
red and black segments
of his slender abdomen,

and the way the sun
shimmers through
his netted veins.

How many more days
will the dragonflies,
zipping for insects
overhead,
sail their shadows
upon my page?

©  2014  Richard Havenga

Read about another "literate insect" @ page thirteen August 28, 2013. 

Black Wings

Wings - a fold of  four,  flat, black, exclamation marks.

Abdomen - a cold, narrow tube of blue flame.

Head - a metallic robot with mechanical movement.

 

 Legs - a six-pack of stiff, angular, threads and fine spines.

© 2013  Richard Havenga

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photo Location:

Fallasburg Park,  (Fallasburg)  Kent County,  Michigan


Black-winged Damselfly - Calopteryx maculata


To learn more, see:   "Delicate, Dazzling, Damselfly" 

@ "Walk With Father Nature" August 11, 2012.  More photos, more Entomology.

Delicate, Dazzling, Damselfly

On a sunny summer Sunday afternoon, we were sitting in our camping chairs near a clean stream, Page Creek, that feeds the Flat River. The place: Fallasburg Park; (Fallasburg) one of the many beautiful parks well-maintained by Kent County, here in Southwest Michigan.

Mary was reading, I was writing, and my camera was waiting in the shade on a picnic table. 
I was also studying the  surface of the stream, watching the Water Striders (see post: "Striders" 6-19-12).

Flitting above the clear water I spotted another insect I have loved for many decades:

Black-winged Damselfly

Not only do I love the insect, I absolutely love this dynamic color combination. Don't you too? Only the male's body has this metallic blue-green-turquoise; the female's body is dark brown, and non-metallic.

These gorgeous insects are 1  5/8 - 1  3/4" (40-60mm). Found throughout North America along slow streams.

Sharp, biting mouthparts are used to cut up prey into bite-sized pieces.

Their long legs, unsuitable for walking, are used to hold insects captured in flight. Each leg has a row of stiff bristles on either side, which are held forward during flight to form a basket that scoops smaller flying insects out of the air and traps them until the claws can grasp them. In this way, they consume huge numbers of blackflies, and mosquitoes.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)



Damselfly eyes bulge out to the side.

While Dragonflies extend their wings horizontally to the sides, Damselflies hold their wings vertically, toward the rear.

Their four wings move independently, enabling them to move forward or backward. The flight is somewhat irregular, and erratic, more like a butterfly. Whereas the dragonfly flight is faster, more direct, and incredibly maneuverable. (For more on Dragonflies, see post: "Fast and Furious" 6-21-12)

Adults feed on small flying insects, but the immature stage, called Naiads, feed strictly on small aquatic insects, since Naiads live underwater, are wingless, and do not resemble the adults.

Reproduction:

The male curls the tip of its abdomen to deposit a sperm packet in a chamber below its second abdominal segment. Then, if the female is receptive, the male holds the female by the neck with special claspers called cerci. The female picks up the packet using the tip of her abdomen, to fertilize her eggs.

Looks like they're right on target here; male on top, grasping the female by the neck with his cerci, and the female linking up to the right segment to collect the sperm packet. You can see a sort of heart-shape, but this is not about love. It's about reproduction.

Observe the more transparent, brownish wings of the female here.

Later, the female forces eggs, singly, into soft plant tissue underwater. This is watercress growing along the edge of Page Creek.

This is a great look at the bulbous eyes, the bristly legs, the squarish thorax containing the flight muscles, the arching segments of the iridescent abdomen, the brownish, semi-transparent wings, and the characteristic white spot on the upper tips of the wings.

I hope you get a sunny, summer afternoon, soon, to sit streamside and witness the exquisite, metallic colors of this interesting insect. Bring your binoculars, be patient, and you will be dazzled by this delicate, dynamic Damselfly.




Black-winged Damselfly (Calopteryx maculata)

Photo Location:  Fallasburg Park,  (Fallasburg) Kent County,  Michigan

Three Tiger Swallowtails

Scientific-Poet Looks at Butterflies


of delicate structure
and ethereal flight
flitting aimlessly for
mate or some nectar


the family name
Lepidoptera
from two Greek words
lepi - scale, ptera - wing


siphoning mouthparts
coiled like a watchspring
under the head
until it's needed


unfurls into tube
called a proboscis
probes deep into flowers
searching for nectar


thread-like antennae
long and slender
knobbed or hooked
at their tips


narrow extensions
on the hindwings
which resemble
forked tails of swallows


two pairs of wings
covered like roof shingles
with thousands of scales
overlapping and minuscule


pigments in scales
and structure of prisms
bends white light
to produce iridescence


intricate patterns
refracting the light
kaleidoscope of color
crown jewels of insect world


courtship involves
stroking of wings
mating may last for hours
often occurs during flight


courtship and mating
egg-laying and pollinating
life-span is short
some live only two to three weeks


egg, larva, pupa, adult
caterpillar to chrysalis
hidden transformation
the miracle of metamorphosis










Eastern Tiger Swallowtail  (Papilio glaucus)

Photo Location:  Harbor Springs, (Harbor Springs) Michigan





References:

The Practical Entomologist - (Entomologist) Rick Imes  c 1992

The Handy Bug Answer Book -  (Answer Book) Dr. Gilbert Waldbauer c 1998

Fast and Furious

Are you fascinated by Dragonflies? You may be after you take a close look at these incredible creatures. For many people it's their favorite insect.

You have seen them flying forward at incredible speeds, and watched them change direction in a milli-second. They are also capable of flying backwards, and can easily hover in mid-air. Dragonflies are masterful at snatching insects out of the air while flying at top speed. There is no aircraft that can match the skill and proficiency of this fast and furious insect.

Read more details now, in free verse form:




Eyes

hemispherical eyes
on jerky, rotating head
hundreds of hexagon lenses
spot insect movements
in multiple directions
ready for instant pursuit

Legs

narrow tapered segments
on black jointed legs
for clinging not for walking
barbed with stiff sharp spines
for trapping and holding prey
with secure and solid grasp

Wings

wings appear delicate
with transparent membranes
a gauze of finest film
and black netted veins
make intricate design
strength and beauty combine

Wings

front edge of wings
reinforced in solid squares
for added strength
during forward flight
fast and furious
patrolling the airspace

Abdomen

multi-colored segments
a long flexible tube
pulsing in and out
spiracles draw in oxygen
a pair of pincers
to grab the mate

Thorax

middle section anchors
six strong legs
miraculous muscles
move four powerful wings
on rapid-motion hinges
how does it all work?



Dragonfly Species:  Green Clearwing (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Photo Location: Home Garden

To learn about a related species, visit the post:   "Delicate, Dazzling, Damselfly",  found
@ "Walk With Father Nature" August 11, 2012.

Striders

My wife and I were sitting in the shade at Fallasburg Park Sunday afternoon. A clean stream gurgled at our feet, nearly to its Flat River destination. This portion of the creek was only 4-10" deep. A moderate current flowed in the middle of its 10-foot width, but slower and shallower along the inside turns.

Water Striders were active in the quieter water, so I attempted some photographs. Active? These guys were in perpetual motion it seemed. They were also very skittish. It required extreme patience to capture a few usable shots.

That opening photo holds a pattern you have most likely seen, but perhaps not examined. The black oval shadows on the bottom of the creek bed are caused by the Water Striders' feet "dimpling" the surface film of the water. The tiny depressions on top of the water scatter the light and create these distinctive shadows under the water.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Both of these insects are facing the upper left in this photo; upstream. Notice the different shapes of the shadows: rear legs point backwards (shaped like a sunflower seed); middle legs spread widest and with smallest shadows; front legs most rounded shadows. Note: the angle of the sun is also a factor in shadow shape.

More on the functions of legs later.


Description:

1/2 - 5/8 inches long. Flattened, elongate. Dark brown to black. Short forelegs. Middle and hind legs long and slender. Mostly wingless.

Habitat:

Surfaces of ponds, slow streams, and other quiet waters.

Food:

Aquatic insects, including mosquito larvae that rise to the surface, and terrestrial insects that drop into the water. They have piercing/sucking mouthparts which are very effective.

Life Cycle:

Courtship and mating involve communication by tapping ripples into the surface film.
Female lays parallel rows of cylindrical eggs on an object at the water's edge.
Nymphs mature in about 5 weeks. Young jump about actively. (Same for humans?)
Adults live many months.
In the northern parts of their range they overwinter under fallen leaves on land, near water.

Other:

These insects are called "skaters" in Canada. (Is this related to their passion for Hockey?)
In Texas they're called "Jesus Bugs" because they "walk" on water.

Here are two couples out for a Sunday stride.

These must be cousins, linked together for a raft trip, gently down the stream... merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily... (you know the rest).


Water Striders perform their floating feat by employing the surface tension of the water for support, plus their legs and feet are covered with numerous, microscopic hairs (less than 3 microns in diameter). They call them hydrophobic legs!

Here, you can actually see the little depressions under their feet; the "dimples" created in the water's surface.



Legwork:

• The front legs are used as sensors to detect ripples caused by struggling insects on the water; potential victims.
• The front legs can also puncture prey.
• The long middle legs are used like oars for "rowing" and locomotion.
• The longest hind legs allow a broad reach for better suspension on top of the water. Plus, they're used for steering while in motion.

Look carefully here, at the water's surface. See the many parallel streaks where the legs "dimple the water? It bends the light and magnifies the stream bottom. The "dimple shadows" are pretty cool too.

What would you call a large group of Striders? Swarm? Flock? Team? School?
Class dismissed!




While I was up the creek with my camera, a bunch of kids farther downstream were freaking out, and jumping out of the water, yelling "SPIDERS!" I wanted to teach them these fascinating facts that we just learned about the "STRIDERS". But it was Father's Day, they weren't my kids, and they weren't in my class.

But they could be...                                                                              ...just call "Father Nature".






Common Water Strider (Gerris remigis)

Resource:

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders (Insects)


Photo Locations:

Fallasburg Park, (Fallasburg Park) Kent County, Michigan
Townsend Park, (Townsend Park) Kent County, Michigan

Surprise On-Deck

Last week I wrote about the astonishing sound we heard under the deck. (See "How Quiet?" in May archives) Last weekend something surprised us topside.

Saturday morning I had finished planting a planter of pink Verbenas. We were reading and relaxing on the deck in the late afternoon. A swift movement caught my eye. I looked up to the Hummingbird feeder to see if it was a male or a female hummer. It was not a bird. It was not at the feeder. It was a Hummingbird Moth, at the Verbena. Zipping up and down, left and right, in and out.

I rushed inside for my camera, hoping to get at least one shot from a distance. Well, this hairy creature did not leave its stash. The nectar must have been plentiful, and the Verbena's tubular structure fit the moth's amazing proboscis. Look how it bends into the blooms. I closed to about 30" with my 100mm macro.

(Click on photos to enlarge)

This guy was in hyper-motion! I could hear the faint buzzy-whirring of its wings. It never landed so I could examine its markings, but some of these details are discernible in the photos.

The following description is from Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders

Wingspan 1 1/2- 2" (38-50mm). Wings initially plum-red to brownish-black, but scales drop off after 1st flight, leaving clear areas devoid of scales. Body spindle-shaped, mostly olive-green with plum-red bands across abdomen and rear tufts.

Their habitat is forest edges (our lawn is 90% edged by forest), meadows (a few acres to the SW), and flower gardens (perennial gardens surround our house).

Our annuals include: Cosmos, Petunia, Geranium, Salvia, Begonias, Impatiens, and Cleome. And now, the Verbena, which brings this plump little surprise, the Hummingbird Moth, to our deck.

This moth hovers over flowers in full sunlight, producing a buzz with its wings similar to, but softer than that of a Hummingbird. The caterpillar feeds on the foliage of the Honeysuckle family, which grows abundantly in our area.

Watch for them in your gardens. Plant some Verbena. Grab your camera.