I did not purposefully over promise the experience that I anticipated when I invited two of our daughters to join me on a hike at Monarch Meadows, to act as stand-in photographers. We had been there in June several years ago and marveled at the meadow wildflowers and the tremendous number of butterflies and pollinators. With it being mid-September, with the Monarch migration well underway, the height of Ironweed and Goldenrod bloom, and the beginning of Aster season, I thought that we were in for a terrific hike, full of late season blossoms and butterflies. But with nature, things do not always go as anticipated.
It had rained during the early morning and the sky was overcast when we arrived. I was taken aback as we stood at the trailhead with hardly a flower blossom or butterfly to be seen. While we had seen roadside Ironweed blooming profusely on our drive, at the preserve it was spent, with only seedheads being noted.
Trekking clockwise and heading downgrade,
we started noting a few flowering specimens, but certainly not the kaleidoscope of color that we had seen on our previous visit. Initially small clumps of Mist Flower were the most common.
Our middle daughter Ellen was with us and, true to form, she started noting some small, interesting lifeforms on the ground or the foliage. The first was this insect. It was down in the shadows at the base of the grasses and only his orange antennae made it possible to follow as it roamed the terrain. It is a parasitic Icheumonid Wasp. They are a beneficial insect, important in grape horticulture, as they lay their eggs in the caterpillars of species that feed on grape vines. The wasp’s eggs hatch and the larvae eat the caterpillar from the inside as they mature.
We continued to walk the mowed path, hoping to find an abundance of flowers.
Unfortunately floral sightings remained few, and therefore we were excited when we saw these arching Ghost Aster stems that reminded us of fireworks.
We would occasionally see some Common Milkweed which would result in the necessary search for Monarch caterpillars on the underside of the leaves.
In this case, we found a Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar – more than just Monarchs utilize Milkweed as a larval food source.
In this same area we also noted some Yellow Wingstem that had obviously been dined on. Most of the leaves had been skeletonized by something. The timing of the consumption is such that it will not interfere with the Wingstem being pollinated and forming seeds, completing its annual lifecycle.
So this hike became more about the insects that are part of the meadow ecosystem – underappreciated, but integral. Not surprisingly, we saw a great number of grasshoppers.
In fact, this is a photo of a grasshopper nymph – a grasshopper in development.
But there were more to be appreciated, including numerous specimens of the Buckeye Butterfly caterpillar.
At first glance this spider only appears to have four legs – it is a member of the Argiope genus, who characteristically hold their eight legs together in pairs such that they appear as four.
Another spider that we noted was a Banded Garden Spider, also a member of the Agriope genus. It appears to be entrapping some captured prey.
While this Common Wave Moth was nestled down in the grasses for the day, which did not make for easy photography, its feather-like antennae were fascinating.
These interesting mud structures are the work of Pottery Wasps. They are the nest or nursery for the species. A female builds the pot out of mud, water, and saliva. She then suspends a single egg on a thread in the chamber, stuffs it full of paralyzed caterpillars or larvae of other insects, and then seals the opening. Her young will then feed on the enclosed prey, and later emerge through the wall of the vessel as an adult. The adult wasps themselves, are vegetarian.
The Katydid is a bulky insect that, while it has wings, is a poor flyer, and is not often seen. They are primarily nocturnal and spend their days camouflaged in tree tops. They typically have very long antennae.
In the end, however, we did see a few butterflies on our outing – but just a fraction of what we had seen on our previous visit. One was the Eastern-tailed Blue. In flight, this butterfly is an iridescent blue, as noted in the lower left of the photo below, but when resting, and displaying the underside of its wing it is a grayish-white. The “tailed” term in its name is a reference to the projections that arise from the edge of the hind wing. They, along with the orange spots on the wing, are meant to trick predators into believing that section of the wing is actually the head of the butterfly, leading to unsuccessful attacks.
We also saw this Pearl Crescent resting on a leaf.
The botanical highlight of our day was when we came upon Stiff Goldenrod, one of the rarer members of the Goldenrod family. It differs from the more familiar goldenrods by having thick, broad leaves as well as a rounded flowerhead that lacks the typical arching panicles of flowers.
Other fall flowering, meadow plants that we saw included:
Prairie Rosinweed and New England Aster.
Ironweed and Campion
Bull Thistle and Purple Coneflower
At the furthest point in the loop trail we found swathes of Goldenrod.
Finding Snakeroot and Mist Flower in close proximity, allowed us to note how similar the two plants are, both in their leaves and flower structure. I have since found out that in the past they were group together in the same genus. More modern research revealed significant genetic discrepancy, suggesting that they developed over different evolutionary lines, and were therefore moved to other genera.
New Plant of the Day – Purple Love Grass, as noted in the title photo and below. It is a native, warm season grass and appeared to be thriving in our dry hot weather, adding some unexpected color to the grassland. The exact origin and meaning of its name is unclear. Its genus name is Eragrostis, with the Er arising from the Greek word, Eros, the God of love, and agrostis which is the Greek word for grass
In summary, Footpaths’ return visit to Monarch Meadows was drastically different from our first one, with hardly a Monarch or other butterfly to be seen. But it was not without its rewards. Healthy meadows and prairies are rich in plant and insect diversity which always provides an opportunity for study. It was fun to stroll the path with two of our daughters, who are both a delightful blend of scientist and artist. I’m not sure many folks would understand the excitement we demonstrated as we called each other over to share an observation. The ladies were good sports – embracing an insect laden meadow on a wet Saturday morning.
Footpathsblog.com posts are released every Sunday morning and some bonus content is added periodically. Please click on a social media icon above to follow for future posts and to make sure that you catch all our reflections on, and adventures with, the great outdoors.
Photo credits to Caroline Burns Grizzle and Ellen Burns.
Overview:
Location – 2287 Dibble Rd, Rising Sun, IN, 46 miles east of downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – gravel lot for 5 to 6 cars.
Facilities – None.
Trail Conditions – mowed path with ankle height grass. The return route is along a small, rarely used country road. Wear pants and socks. The terrain is gently rolling. Sunscreen and insect repellents are good ideas.
Print Map Link – None
Benches – One
Kids – This is an ideal place to take kids 6 and over as the grade is relatively easy, but the grass height could be a challenge for those younger.
Dogs – Welcomed on a leash.
Suggested Paired Hikes – None
Links:
https://oakheritageconservancy.org/2018/06/28/monarch-meadows/
https://footpathsblog.com/2022/08/14/monarch-meadow-rising-sun-indiana/