The vibrant golds of the Fraxinus…are filling up the landscape.  They are absolutely brilliant this year. And the first cold snap – like maybe tonight – and they will be leafless!  Look hard at the landscape and notice all the places filled with the golds of Ash – now envision that same landscape after the Emerald Ash Borer takes its toll!

Spodoptera ornithogalli (yellowstriped armyworm) moving quickly across the “concrete trail” at Shadow Lake. These become moths – they are foliage feeders – overwinter as pupae in soil – note the yellowish strip along each side and 2 black triangular spots on top of most segments.

This beetle led me to Scarab beetles in general and larvae of white grubs – the presence of same in lawns can attract various vertebrate predators such as skunks and raccoons – your lawn will look like it has been aerated after these animals forage in your lawn for grubs.  This can be noticed in several yards as you drive around town – the drought has reduced the food source – and it is getting closer to winter – and the urban wildlife is not yet carrying a sufficient fat reserve – so it becomes a grubby menu…

The most interesting thing about grubs is they can be identified by the pattern of hairs on the tip of their abdomen – termed a rastral pattern.

And this lastly led me to rain beetles – a most patient beetle as mating activity is triggered by rain – and only the male beetles have wings – the larvae live underground and feed on the roots of oaks and confiers – and they can remain underground for as long as ten years – the females are flightless and also live underground – and their range is limited to the west coast – but when all the planets align and the rain is right – it is said that “the female’s phermone is blooming invisibly in the air”…