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Dressed For Halloween — Day-Flying Buck Moths

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon October 2, 2021

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon
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100221_dnr_BuckMoth — A Buck Moth takes a break from its frantic search for a female. These late-season insects need to mate before cold weather arrives. Nature News | Marlene A. Condon

One fall afternoon, as I was sitting on my front-porch swing, a large white-and-black insect went zipping by. I knew that it was either a moth or a butterfly, but it flew so fast that I couldn’t get a good look at it before it disappeared.

Since I’d seen this insect in the early afternoon, I made sure to be outside again the next afternoon in case it came by. I’d learned long before that animals are often creatures of habit, so if you see one at a certain time of the day or night, you are quite likely to see it again about that same time on the next day or night.

Sure enough, one of these insects came zooming by, flying around in every direction as if it were on its way to a fire but did not know the most direct route to get there! This time I was ready.

While many people interested in moths and butterflies use nets to catch and then observe them, I prefer to leave animals alone, so I was not waiting with a net. Instead, I was waiting with sneakers on my feet in place of sandals so that I could more easily follow (running, if necessary) after the insect as it flew rapidly around the yard.

And fly it did, never stopping at a flower for nectar as some moths and butterflies might do. However, it did land on a leaf, just long enough for me to get the glimpse I needed for identification purposes. It was a moth.

I could see its wings were folded on top of its back; butterflies often close their wings high above their backs but they can’t fold them. This insect had a furry body whereas butterflies do not, and it didn’t have knobby antennae the way all butterflies do.

The moth was mostly black with a white band through the center of each of its four wings that included a black spot. I immediately looked through my field guide to moths (Eastern Moths by Charles V. Covell, Jr.) and found what I was looking for — a Buck Moth. These insects are searching for mates.

The caterpillar of the Buck Moth eats oak leaves, so if you have oak trees around, you may catch a glimpse of this insect any time between now and the middle of November, assuming the weather is not too cold. There are few day-flying moths, especially at this time of the year, and this one is distinctive due to its rapid flight.

I’ve seen Buck Moths flying early in the morning as well as late in the afternoon. Search early in the morning while it’s cool and you may find one at rest, but not necessarily on a plant. Many years ago, I got several photos of one on my trash can in the carport and was able to see that its black body is punctuated with bright orange markings. The colors are certainly appropriate for the Halloween season!

Why Did The Woolly Bear Cross The Road?

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon September 4, 2021

090421_dnr_WoolyBear — Woolly Bears can be found almost anywhere. Here one rests on a rock by the author’s artificial pond. Nature News | Marlene A. Condon

One October day in 1996, I attended an outdoors writers’ meeting in Warrenton. As I drove from Crozet early that morning, I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of Woolly Bear caterpillars on the roads. As fall begins, these furry reddish brown and black caterpillars become a familiar sight in Virginia.

You might spot Woolly Bears in summer feeding upon many kinds of wild flowers, grasses and trees. But most people notice their presence only when they see caterpillars crossing roads during September and October. Have you ever asked yourself “Why did the Woolly Bear cross the road?” It’s not “To get to the other side,” but rather “To find a good place to hibernate.”

As summer ends, many caterpillar species encase themselves in a protective covering and undergo internal changes to become adults, a process called pupation. Woolly Bears, however, spend the winter in larval form and do not pupate until spring. Therefore, they need to find a sheltered area where they will be hidden from predators and severe weather.

You might find Woolly Bears curled up under mulch or rocks in your garden, or in your basement if they found a way in. Once, when there was a threat of frost overnight, I covered some potted plants with “row cover,” a lightweight fabric used to protect plants from the cold. When I uncovered the pots the next morning, I discovered a Woolly Bear had apparently found the blanket to its liking and had spent the night curled up under it. It soon left to find a more permanent refuge.

The fall Woolly Bears are the second generation or brood of the summer. The first-generation caterpillars (the offspring of the moths that emerged from the caterpillars that had hibernated) pupated earlier in the season. After about two weeks, adults emerged, mated and laid eggs on the variety of plants Woolly Bear caterpillars feed upon until the coolness of fall prods them into finding shelter for the winter. Folks tend to notice them on the move.

The Woolly Bear is the immature form of the Isabella tiger moth that is active during summer nights. You might see one around an outdoor lamp or perhaps at the window of a lighted room. It is not a particularly eye-catching moth, with its two-inch orange-to-brownish-yellow wings that display faint markings. You probably wouldn’t pay much attention to it if you saw one.

Another name for this tiger moth caterpillar is the Banded Woolly Bear because it usually sports three bands of color: Two black ends and a middle section of reddish-brown. Folklore tells us that the greater the amount of black, the worse the coming winter is going to be, but instead, it’s an indication of a caterpillar’s age. Older caterpillars have less black and more reddish-brown.

The Woolly Bear is not as common a fall sight as it once was. Therefore, you might try to avoid running over this harbinger of winter, but only if it’s safe to do so.

Don’t Fear A Snake In The Grass!

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon August 7, 2021

One day as I pulled out plants growing underneath my bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), I looked up and discovered a large black rat snake resting directly above me on a branch, only inches from my head. I immediately backed out from under the bush and ran — not because I was scared, but because I was excited to have an opportunity to photograph this animal and I needed to get my camera!

Sadly, many folks would have run instead for something with which they could kill the serpent. It’s unfortunate that man’s seemingly inborn fear of snakes results in many of these animals dying needlessly. Snakes are not as dangerous as people think. As with all wild animals, they should simply be shown respect. Don’t mess with them, and they won’t mess with you.

Because snakes are much smaller than humans, they are bound to be the losers in a combative encounter. As a result, snakes would much rather slither away than interact with people, and that is exactly what they will do if given the chance. (If they have just eaten a big meal, however, they may have to stay put to digest it first.)

Black rat snakes are one of our most abundant snakes. Adults are usually black on top and off-white underneath, although juveniles have conspicuous blotches. The chin and throat areas are white or cream-colored. Black rat snakes can grow up to 6 feet long, making them one of our largest snakes. They are not venomous, killing their prey by constricting (squeezing) an animal until it suffocates.

The black rat snake, as its name implies, feeds mostly upon rats and mice. However, this species is an excellent climber and will also make a meal of birds and their eggs.

Folks don’t like to see eggs or chicks taken from bird nests, whether by snakes or other kinds of predators, but it’s important to recognize that this activity must occur. If all the eggs survived to produce chicks, and all the chicks survived to adulthood, the natural world would become overcrowded. There simply isn’t enough space or food for every animal given life each year to survive.

That said, you shouldn’t entice birds to nest in locations easily accessible to predators. Use baffles for bird boxes on poles and make sure the house is properly made so your birds have a lower probability of being taken by a predator. But if they do get taken, don’t begrudge the predator its meal; try to remember it is simply doing its job.

You can live safely among snakes by employing common sense. The most important rule to learn — preferably when young, but it’s never too late to learn — is to never, ever stick your hands or feet into places where you can’t see what’s there. And, pay attention when walking so you don’t step on a snake resting in the pathway.

Please keep in mind that snakes are intriguing animals just doing their part to keep our environment functioning properly.

A Solace Garden

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon July 2, 2021

070321_dnr_NatureNews — The author found solace watching wildlife activities at this little pond while caring for her ill mother. Marlene A. Condon | Nature News

Nature can be restorative, as I learned 28 years ago after my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I brought her to my home to care for her. It was a heartbreaking time.

That year of caregiving was physically exhausting, but the emotional aspects were the most demanding. My heart was breaking and I could have cried 24 hours a day. But if I had cried in front of my Mom, it would have been a reminder of what the future held in store for us, and that was not a good thing to bring daily to her attention.

However, I had to allow the tears to flow at some point each day, which I did by my little artificial pond — my solace garden. Here I found a measure of peace as I cried my eyes out day after day, safely out of sight and earshot of my ailing parent. Within minutes, I’d find the strength to return to the house with nothing less than a cheery smile for my mother.

What drew me to this spot to deal with my grief was the life in and around the pond that helped me reconnect to the outside world. My personal world was falling apart inside my house and my being, but the external world — as demonstrated by all the lifeforms at the pond — continued as if nothing of great impact was happening. While death is an unfortunate part of our lives, the world (life) does indeed go on, even though you might carry the pain of death around within you for the rest of your days.

As I sat on the ground surveying my surroundings through eyes brimming over with tears, my goldfish would swim up to me thinking I might throw them some of the fish flakes they enjoyed so much. Eastern Newts that had moved into the pond swam lazily just under the surface of the water, as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Butterflies flitted from plant to plant by the water’s edge, slurping up each flower’s sweet liquid, oblivious of the beauty they lent to the environment with their colorful wings. Bees worked hard, going from bloom to bloom to gather nectar or pollen, and dragonflies perched on dried flower stalks from the previous summer so they could watch for flying insects that would make a good meal. The resident Green Frogs eventually became bold enough to remain sitting on rocks across the pond from me instead of jumping into the water at my approach, and birds sometimes flew in quite close to me in order to get a drink of water, being not quite sure if I was alive or not.

Perhaps the world could become a happier, healthier, more peaceful, and less stressed place if everyone could find their own “solace garden,” either at home or in a natural area — to get through the major or minor difficulties of each day. Nature provides value to humans in so many ways!

Avoiding Harm To Wildlife

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon Jun 4, 2021

060521_dnr_NaturePhoto — Woodlice (also known as roly-polies, sowbugs, or pillbugs) are frequently found underneath flower pots where there’s organic matter that needs recycling, so please lift pots rather than sliding them into a new position. Marlene A. Condon | Nature News

Spring and summer are perhaps the most dangerous times of the year for wildlife living among people. Yet with a bit of forethought, folks can do much to avoid inadvertently bringing harm to animals residing in their yards.

Before trimming a shrub or tree, observe it for a few days to make sure birds and mammals aren’t nesting within it. If they are, wait a few weeks for the young to leave.

Large trees are best removed in fall when woodpeckers and squirrels shouldn’t have helpless young in cavity nests. The adult animals continue to use cavities for overnight roosting throughout fall and winter, but should be out foraging during the day when the tree gets cut. If cutting is done early in the day, these critters will have time to find another sleeping spot.

Don’t employ rototillers all summer to maintain food gardens. It’s exceedingly harmful to critters within the soil and the soil structure. Soil-living creatures make pathways throughout the soil (aerating it) which allows your plants to get oxygen and water, and they supply fertilizer by breaking down organic matter into plant-usable nutrients.

You may need to use a rototiller to break up soil and incorporate organic matter when you first plant a garden, but in subsequent years, it’s best to use hand tools. When you are at ground level, you can notice critters and avoid hurting them.

A huge problem for snakes is netting that folks use to try to keep birds and mammals out of their fruiting trees and shrubs. Large snakes don’t realize they can’t fit through the holes. They go through and get tangled up, eventually dying from dehydration if they don’t get help. (Birds determined to get through to fruits often cannot find their way out again.) Snakes are your best way to limit the number of mice and voles because their anatomy allows them to go down into rodent burrows.

Try placing fruiting plants close to your house where human activity helps to scare animals away. Growing fruiting plants especially for wildlife, far away from the house, works well because animals are more apt to go there.

During summer, don’t leave open pails around the yard. They can be death traps, especially if they are holding water. Insects see the sky reflected in the liquid and will not realize they are flying into a substance from which they cannot escape. Mice might try to enter for a drink, especially during drought conditions, and drown when they fall in. These animals are Mother Nature’s gardeners, carrying seeds back to their burrows and dropping some along the way, which helps plants to spread.

Lastly, when moving a flower pot that’s been in place for a long time, lift rather than drag it. Sowbugs, millipedes, earthworms, and centipedes are often underneath, and you don’t want to squish them. Centipedes limit the numbers of the other animals found there, which are working to recycle organic matter that’s fallen out of your pot. Every creature matters.

Modify Your Bird Houses For Safety Of Tree Swallow Chicks

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon Apr 30, 2021

043021_dnr_TreeSwallow — An adult male Tree Swallow peers out of a bird house in the author’s yard to make sure it’s safe to leave. Marlene A. Condon

The male Tree Swallow is one of the most gorgeous animals that I have ever laid eyes upon. Its back is a stunning glossy blue-green that contrasts with its pure white undersides.

Tree Swallows are birds of open country (fields in the East and prairies out West) where they can easily forage for insects that are in the air from spring through fall. Yet these birds normally nest in the cavities of trees. Where snags (dead trees) are not readily available, they will take advantage of bird boxes that have been set out for bluebirds.

Thus, people’s fondness for bluebirds has helped Tree Swallow populations to increase as well. Chickadees, titmice, and wrens are some of the other species of birds that might also take up residence in a box built to bluebird specifications.

If you are alert and can remember to check the sky late in the afternoon during the month of March, you might spy Tree Swallows returning from their winter journey south. While many species migrate at night, Tree Swallows move during daylight hours.

Tree Swallows feed upon berry or berry-like fruits, which allows them to return to their nesting grounds earlier in spring than many other insect-eating birds. If cold weather lingers and prevents the emergence of insects, Tree Swallows will not starve.

However, when the weather has warmed and insects are active, a male Tree Swallow will escort his mate (he usually has a new one each year) around the territory he has staked out. After the female has chosen from the potential nest sites, she gets to work on building a nest while the male watches over her, helping very little with the nest construction.

Composed of grasses, plant stalks, pine needles, moss, and other plant matter, the nest will usually be lined with chicken or goose feathers after the first eggs are laid. A study several years ago suggested that these feathers provided warmth for the developing chicks that helped them to grow more quickly. Those chicks from nests without feathers took longer to mature.

From four to seven eggs are laid and then incubated by the female for 14 to 15 days. Both parents feed the nestlings that will be ready to leave the nest after about three weeks. But if these baby birds are in a bluebird box, they may be trapped and will die.

Unlike bluebird nestlings, Tree Swallow chicks need help to climb out of boxes. Therefore, if you think your bluebird boxes might be used by Tree Swallows, either make a “ladder” of little blocks up the interior wall containing the exit hole, or attach a small piece of hardware cloth to the interior wall below the hole. You could also roughen up the inside surface of the wall containing the exit hole, which will make it easier for any young bird to make its way up and out of the box.

Please spread this information to anyone putting out bird houses to help keep Tree Swallows safe!

More About Cultivated Plants For Wildlife

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon, April 3, 2021

040321_dnr_Condon — A nursery web spider hunts upon a potted lantana by the author’s driveway. A female will carry around her egg sac until the young are about to hatch, at which time she builds a nursery web “tent” for them. She’ll guard her spiderlings until they go through their first molt. Nature News | Marlene A. Condon

There are so many excellent cultivated flowers (those that are planted by humans and would probably not occur naturally) that serve wildlife well that I wanted to continue the discussion from last month’s column.

Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus spp.) makes seeds that finches love, but of course, you must resist the urge to clean up the garden. Instead, leave these dried plants in place to feed birds throughout fall and winter. Petunias (Petunia spp.) are especially good nectar sources for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Cosmos (Cosmos spp.) flowers are popular in American gardens and especially popular with American Goldfinches that sometimes take the seeds while they are still green. Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana spp.) is one of my favorite plants, and it’s a favorite of hummingbirds as well.

Spiderflower (Cleome spinosa) lures bees and hummingbirds to its blooms during the day and sphinx moths at night. If you watch around dusk, you may be lucky enough to observe these large moths paying a visit. The first time that you see one, you might think it’s a hummingbird! Mourning Doves eat Cleome seeds that are contained in spidery looking seed pods; hence, the common name of this plant.

Lantana (Lantana camara) is a woody flowering plant that does well in a pot. Its blooms often appear in a variety of colors simultaneously. My favorite kind shows yellow, red, and orange hues, or varying shades thereof. The assortment of colors lets insects know which blooms have been pollinated and thus contain no more nectar for them. It’s been shown that butterflies learn to recognize this situation and do not waste time visiting the nectar-less blooms. I originally grew this plant to attract Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but it quickly became apparent that it also served as a magnet for bees, butterflies, and moths.

Milkweeds are essential to the existence of the Monarch butterfly whose caterpillars eat the leaves. You may know that these “cats” ingest a poisonous substance from the milky juice of milkweeds, and that these heart poisons sicken birds and other vertebrates when they prey upon Monarch larvae or adults. As a result, such predators quickly learn to avoid Monarchs and this minimizes predation upon them.

However, not all milkweeds are created equal. Many gardeners prefer to grow the small orange-blossomed native milkweed known as Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), rather than the much larger Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). But, only certain Asclepias plants contain large amounts of poison, and Butterfly Weed isn’t one of them. Break a stem and you will see that its juices run clear, meanings it produces relatively nonpoisonous adult Monarchs that are then at increased risk of predation. It is much better for these butterflies if you can grow Common Milkweed.

I’ve mentioned only insects and birds that benefit from the preceding list of flowers, but remember that many other kinds of animals benefit by preying upon these nectar-seeking organisms (and yes, these critters should be welcomed to prevent overpopulations) or by using the plants for cover as they move about the yard.

You Can Feed The Birds, Bees And Butterflies, Too

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon, Mar 5, 2021

A Tiger Swallowtail hugs the ground to feed at Ground Ivy, a vital early-season source of nectar. Nature News | Marlene A. Condon

During lawn-mowing season, wildflowers in yards and along roadsides are cut often, leaving nothing for our pollinators to feed upon. Therefore, it’s very helpful to grow an assortment of flowers for their benefit. You can assist these insects even if you don’t have a yard, but do have a sunny space for planter pots or boxes.

My favorite flowers for container growing are Lantana (Lantana camara) and French Marigolds (Tagetes patula). Marigolds are annuals easily started outdoors from seed after the last frost date. Lantana is a tender perennial that can be grown outdoors only during the frost-free months of the year. It becomes woody by the end of summer and needs to be brought indoors if you want to keep it going until warm weather returns.

In cultivated flower gardens, Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) and Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) are easy-to-grow annuals that can be started from seed after the danger of frost has passed. Most annuals tend to bloom all summer. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) are perennials that are quite popular with several species of butterflies. Perennials are often sold as seedlings, but you can start these species from seed. An additional bonus to growing any of these plants is that you can provide food for birds.

By allowing the marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, and coneflowers to go to seed (no deadheading required!) and leaving the plants standing, you may get a chance to observe American Goldfinches picking out the seeds to feed their young in late summer. Goldfinches are highly unusual in that they mostly feed chicks regurgitated seeds instead of insects. Lantana blooms are extremely attractive to Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that will visit along with numerous kinds of bees and butterflies for nectar.

Seeds or seedlings of all these plants can be found at nurseries, grocery stores, farm-supply stores, some department stores or through mail-order nursery catalogs. If you don’t want to spend money, don’t use herbicides in your yard and embrace the wildflowers that show up on their own. Three of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in spring that are popular with pollinators are Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), and Hoary Bittercress (Cardamine hirsute). These plants are extremely important because they supply some of the first-available nectar for insects coming out of hibernation. You can use a wildflower guide to identify them.

Some flowering shrubs that attract butterflies are blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) and Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). If you plant blueberry bushes, you’ll get fruit for yourself (unless you allow squirrels and birds access), and beautiful red fall color (my favorite!). Buckeye will provide you with tall spikes of white flowers that attract all kinds of pollinators.

Two caterpillar food plants that can be grown easily are Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) for Monarchs and False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) for Red Admirals.

Some of these plants also attract moths, such as day-flying clearwings and early-evening sphinx moths. Watch your plants at all hours and you’ll be amply rewarded for your gardening efforts.

Sure Signs of Spring — Migration and Nesting

Nature News | Marlene A. Condon, Feb 5, 2021

020521_dnr_salamander — A Spotted Salamander visits the author’s artificial pond where it will leave fertilized eggs before returning to its life underground. Photo By Marlene A. Condon

Signs of spring can be evident by mid-to-late February, depending upon the weather.

Migratory Canada Geese (often mistakenly referred to as “Canadian” Geese) begin to head to the far North in anticipation of nesting as soon as possible. The warm season at such high latitudes is short, so these big birds only have a small window in which to raise their families.

The geese follow warming temperatures (on average, 35 degrees and above) that indicate a retreating snow line. I’ve most often observed these birds in their V-formation honking high in the sky in very early morning and very early evening, but I’ve also heard them on the move overnight.

Don’t be confused by the local Canada Geese that move around during the daytime hours between ponds, feeding areas, and nighttime roosts. These birds don’t travel high in the air as there is no need to do so.

I find the sight and sound of migrating birds enthralling because these animals are traveling very long distances using their own muscle power. It’s also awe-inspiring to consider their determination to get “home” to reproduce, having to endure they-know-not-what along their route.

Birds aren’t the only ones whose activities are ramping up in the early months of the year. If the winter has not been extremely harsh and signs of warming are evident by February or March, some amphibian species come out of hibernation and immediately head to ponds to mate and lay eggs. Considering that these animals are cold-blooded, it’s an amazing feat to become active this early.

If you want to try to see Spotted Salamanders, visit a natural pond or wetland on nights when a warm rain is falling; the air temperature should be at least in the upper 50s to low 60s. Wood Frogs, on the other hand, can become active even when temperatures are only in the high 40s! Spotted Salamanders are silent, but

Wood Frogs let you know they are out of hibernation: The males get to the ponds first and call like crazy to let the females know where they are.

These species can be difficult to see in the wild, but if you live in an area where they exist and you put in an artificial pond, you may attract them right to your yard to reproduce. Small ponds made of plastic or fiberglass can be purchased at some home-improvement stores and plant nurseries, or you can make your own by using rubber lining.

Books tell us that, from a distance, the calling of Wood Frogs can be mistaken for the quacking of ducks, but the first time I ever heard them, I thought they were Canada Geese migrating. I was looking in the air for distant geese when I realized the “honking” was coming from a ditch full of water below the road on which I was exercising. Discovering those Canada Geese-sounding frogs in the same season as Canada Geese were flying northward remains one of my favorite and most cherished nature memories.

The Importance Of Smell

January 2, 2021

ARTICLE PIC-01022021-CARPENTER BEE EVENING PRIMROSE--VIMG_3588adj — Large species of carpenter bees seem to have an affinity for Common Evening Primrose blooms.
Marlene A. Condon

Humans are often not aware of how important their sense of smell is until they lose it, or it is somehow diminished. When you have trouble smelling, you quickly realize that your sense of taste is affected, which can make food much less appetizing. It can cause you to lose interest in eating, something that is not uncommon in older folks who may become malnourished as a result.

Many forms of wildlife are also very dependent upon their sense of smell in order to stay well nourished. The group that contains the most numerous kinds of animals that rely on this sense is undoubtedly that of the insects.

You may be aware that fragrant flowers evolved in order to attract insects (and sometimes other creatures, such as nectar-drinking bats) to them for pollination. This is especially evident in those flowers that open during the hours of darkness or late in the day and remain open all night.

If you have ever grown the original, old-fashioned Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana alata) or Large Moonflower Vine (Calonyction aculeatum) and you walked near the plants after the flowers had unfurled their petals, you should have noticed the strong perfume they give off. In fact, these plants are often sold with other nice-smelling flowers to create a “Fragrance Garden.”

Although Flowering Tobacco blossoms open early enough for hummingbirds to visit and help with pollination, the flowers of Moonflower Vine usually open so late that night-flying nectar-seeking insects are the main pollinators.

Sometimes the fragrance given off by blooms is not particularly noticeable to humans because our olfactory senses are not sensitive enough to detect the molecules that are wafting through the air. However, if you place your nose up close to a blossom, you may be able to detect its scent.

I find Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) wildflowers enchanting because the flowers open quickly enough at dusk that you can watch the petals spread apart. When I first observed the unexpected movement of these blooms, I was delighted; the whole process just seemed so magical (I have a scientific mind, but also a little girl’s heart).

Sphinx moths arrived very quickly at the newly opened blooms, which surprised me. Astonished that the moths had found the flowers so fast, I wondered if they were detecting an odor I had not while standing near the plant. I bent over, put my nose right up to the blossom, and sure enough, a subdued perfume was being released by the primrose.

Of course, this result is not conclusive. The sphinx moths may have detected the yellow blossoms by sight, or they may have used a combination of both sight and smell in order to zone in on this source of food. Whatever the answer, the natural world is full of surprises for us to notice, assuming we look!

Common Evening Primrose can easily be seen in Virginia, growing alongside highways and byways, and even in your yard if you allow “volunteer” plants to join your garden specimens.